


Living a Miracle

by ftmdave



Series: A Miracle Called Life [1]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Best Friends, F/F, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Humanstuck, LGBT issues, M/M, Running Away, Tavros loses his legs, lots of complicated personal problems too, lots of cursing but I don't think that warrants an M rating, slight sadstuck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-18
Updated: 2015-01-29
Packaged: 2018-01-09 05:16:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 56,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1141898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ftmdave/pseuds/ftmdave
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>Cold.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Everything was cold. He was vaguely aware there was snow on the ground around him, white and very wet, but he could barely feel it. He knew it was cold because it didn't melt. He knew it was cold because passerby's breaths were coming out in cloudy white puffs.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>But his breath wasn't like theirs. His was shallow, without warmth. No steam, just air.</em>
</p><p>
Most people don't get second chances in life. Some don't even try for one. Right when he'd given up all hope of living, he found friendship. Opening his eyes to a blank canvas that was soon blooming with colors.<br/>
A story on how one Tavros Nitram finds life, finds laughter, and--most of all--finds love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Loss and Gain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quickie note before the story starts: Because this is Humanstuck taking place in Oregon, Tavros doesn't get called Tavros for a while (since no one would have a name like that in an average place in the US of A. So he'll be referred to as _"Travis"_ until the name _"Tavros"_ is given to him in the chapters to come. You'll see.

_Cold._

_Everything was cold. He was vaguely aware there was snow on the ground around him, white and very wet, but he could barely feel it. He knew it was cold because it didn't melt. He knew it was cold because passerby's breaths were coming out in cloudy white puffs._  
 _But his breath wasn't like theirs. His was shallow, without warmth. No steam, just air._

_He couldn't feel his body anymore. It was almost warmer that way. But he couldn't shake the numbness of his hands and feet. What ratty clothes he had on what no use against the blustery winter weather. Especially his feet. There was something wrong, but he didn't have the energy to peel off his shoes to see._

_People walked by, completely unaware of him sitting in the shadow of a building. His legs, which were sticking out of the shadows, almost tripped a man; the man did no more than swear loudly and glare at him before going off to wherever it was he was going. It didn't bother him too much, that man's reaction. Most people treated him coldly anyway._

_He closed his eyes. He began to think back about his life. It had never been the best one, but it was happy for the most part. He focused on the early days, before he'd left. All the happy, innocent days. Where had they gone?_

_He could see his mother, cooking something in the kitchen, his father coming home after a long day of work, his brothers and sisters sitting around the table. He could see his old room, with the many children's books and movies lining the shelves, lovingly worn, his computer, the multiple stuffed animals piled onto his bed, some odd collection of CDs stacked against the far wall by the ancient heater. That was all in the past now. A past he'd willingly given up. But he didn't want to dwell on those thoughts._

_His eyes opened, taking in the city lights. They were almost beautiful, in an eerie sort of way. Washing the concrete with orangy-gold. He'd always liked orange. And brown. People made fun of him because he liked brown. Then again, people always made fun of him._  
 _He frowned, eyes shutting. He didn't want to think about that now. Right now, he wanted to sleep. Everything was so heavy: the air, the light, the passing voices, the memories. So very heavy, like a blanket._

_Maybe it was better to just sleep._

_Then someone tripped over him for real. He barely felt it, save the slight tugging feeling as his whole body shifted lower by a few inches._

_"Dammit," cursed the voice of the person who presumably tripped over him. "Didn't see the fucking hobo there!"_

_A second voice laughed. "Now best friend, that's not a very nice thing to say. Poor guy must be up and motherfuckin' frozen in this weather."_

_The voice sounded friendly, yet deep and resonating. Husky. Powerful. He, despite himself, smiled._

_The voice continued. "Here bro, a few dollars is all I can spare, but it should get you a meal at that motherfuckin' MikkyD's on the corner there."_

_He wanted to tell the man that there was no need for that, that he wasn't even hungry. Yet he couldn't move. It seemed like a bit of waste of energy. He had none left. The effort wasn't worth it._

_The voice sounded concerned."You okay there, bro?"_

_'Yes,' he wanted to say, but no sound came. His lips felt so heavy, like the rest of his body. Instead, he managed only to flop his head to one side._

_"Dude, is he even breathing?"_

_He felt hands on the side of his face, tilting his face up by the chin. "Bro, ya with me? Can you open your eyes?"_

_He tried--truly, he did--but they would barely flutter. Why bother?_

_The hands that held him were searing. The heat was uncomfortable, yet he couldn't pull away. Instead a weak sound made it out of the back of his throat. It sounded pretty pitiful, even to him._

_More voices, a clamor of them. A group._

_"What's going on, KK? Who is that?"_

_"The fuck should I know?"_

_"It looks like some homeless boy. Poor guy, looks so young. Like our age, even."_

_"Is he okay? He's pawsitively frozen."_

_A solemn female voice. "He looks pale. I feel as though he doesn't have much life left in him."_

_The burning hands left his face, leaving behind a freezing imprint._

_"What's going on?"_

_"Can't you see, Terezi?"_

_"I'm blind! You of all people should know, Vriska!"_

_A very strong set of hands shook him. He could barely moan. "He's not responding."_

_Fingers came to his throat. Another voice, female and British. "His pulse is weak. We need to get him to the emergency room."_

_There was a sensation running through his entire body, like pins and needles. Perhaps he had sat in one position too long? He couldn't even remember. The world was so dark._

_He was vaguely aware he was being carried. It felt like flying. Like Peter Pan. He'd always wanted to be Peter Pan as a kid. Maybe he was actually flying._

_"Hang in there, bro!" a voice commanded. The voice he'd liked. "We're gonna get you some help."_

_That was the last thing he remembered._

* * *

 

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

His eyes opened. White. It practically blinded him, forcing his eyes shut again. One eyes cracked open, then the other, allowing them both to adjust.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

He turned over to his right, seeing monitors. So many monitors. Lights and numbers.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

There were tubes coming out of his arms. IVs. Something plastic up his nose pumping oxygen.

He looked around slowly, mind moving at a sluggish pace. The walls were still blinding white, as were the sheets around him. They were so warm, as were the pillows beneath him. So soft. So much softer than the concrete. He shifted slightly, hearing the unfamiliar crinkle of rough cloth. A blue gown.

I'm in the hospital, he thought to himself. Why? How did I get here?

He heard the sound of a door opening. He focused his attention to his left, barely having to turn since the door was practically in front of him. In came a man who had salt-and-pepper hear, wearing a long white coat over a blue button up and plain black pants. Interestingly enough, he was wearing black velcro shoes, which kind of took away from his professional look. No doubt this was a doctor.

The doctor smiled as he took a clipboard from the door and flipped through the pages before turning his attention back to the young man in bed. "Good, you're awake. It seems like we got you in time. The others will be pleased to hear that."

"Ah, um…what?"

"I'm sorry. Too much information at once." He sat down in the chair by his bed, taking out a pen from the front jacket pocket.

"Could I have your name?" the doctor asked. When he didn't reply, the man sat down and smiled in an open and friendly way. "No need to worry. I'm Doctor Smith. Can you tell me yours?"

"Travis." It was barely audible; since when had his throat been so dry? He coughed and tried again. "Travis Gabriel Martinez."

"Okay, Travis, you said?"

He nodded.

"Now Travis, do you have any questions for me?"

"Yeah. I mean yes, doctor. Sir. Um…" He felt his skin blotting in familiar embarrassment. "Um, where am I?"

"You're at the Providence Portland Medical Center."

"A-am I in…Oregon?"

"Yes you are."

"Oh, um, okay then. Um…why am I here? And how did I get here?"

Doctor Smith explained, "Well, you were brought in by a group of teenagers who looked about your age. I thought they were friends of your's at first, but they told me they found you on the street. We took you in immediately. And good thing too! You seem to be doing much better already. You were barely responsive when you came in."

Travis blushed. "I really don't remember anything. Just being cold…I was sitting on a curb. Then there were some voices, and I felt like I was floating. That's the last thing I remember."

He nodded and wrote the information down.

"Well then, Travis, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you a few basic questions, okay? Can you do that for me? For hospital records' sake?"

"I-I can try…"

"That's all I'm asking for."

Doctor Smith smiled, and Travis couldn't help but smile back. The man put him at ease.

"Your full name is Travis Gabriel Martinez, correct?"

"Yes."

"How old are you?"

"Fifteen. I'll be sixteen this May."

He scribbled this down on his clipboard. "Okay Travis, I'm going to need either an ID of some sort or your medical insurance information."

Travis didn't respond for a long moment, but when he did, his tone was sad. "I don't have any."

Doctor Smith looked up from his clipboard. "What was that?"

"I said I don't have any information. I left it at home."

"That's perfectly fine. We'll just need to call home and let your parents know that you're here-"

"Please don't!" The sudden outburst made the doctor jump in shock. He looked at Travis--just a boy, really--with his eyes filled with fear and unshed tears. "Please don't call them! I don't want to talk to them right now…at least, not my dad..."

"You ran away from home, didn't you?"

After a long, silent moment, he nodded.

Doctor Smith breathed. Seeing the situation, Travis was very lucky he'd been found, let alone taken to a hospital.

"How long ago did you leave home?"

"About two months, I think. I can't really remember…"

"Where are you from, originally?"

"Just outside of LA," he replied. That explained the lack of winter layers. "Um, can you tell me exactly what happened to me. I mean, when I got to the hospital. I, ah, got that some people found me and brought me here?"

"That's right. A group of teens, like I said. They came running in without any warning. One of them was carrying you."

Travis thought he remembered something like that, but it was too hazy. So he simply nodded instead.

Doctor Smith was checking all the machines and nodding.

"I can say that overall you've made a hell of a recovery so far, considering how bad of shape you came in. Dehydrated and malnourished, suffering from hypothermia, and we had you go through a decontaminating bath before surgery."

Travis blushed. So someone had bathed him too. No wonder he felt so clean.

And then the rest of the doctor's words caught up to him.

"Wait. Surgery?"

He hesitated. "I would rather not say now. You need time to adjust."

"What happened?" Travis asked, suddenly insistent. "Please tell me."

Doctor Smith sighed. "I guess there's no helping it. You'd find out sooner or later, and I was planning to tell you when the medication wore off a bit.

"Travis," he contintued with a very serious face. "When you were brought in, you had a high fever and you were barely breathing. Your vitals were weak. It didn't look good for you. A large part of it was because you had a very serious bacterial infection in both of your feet and calfs, probably from some untreated cuts that festered."

Travis thought back to a some odd days ago. He had ran through some abandoned scrapyard without shoes on, hadn't he? Was it from back then?

His attention was diverted back to the doctor, who was speaking still. "Once we got you out of the clothes, we were able to see the full extent of the damage."

Travis could feel his nonexistent stomach falling away. "How…h-how bad was it?"

"We tried to save at least one of your legs," was how it started, "but the infection was extensive and serious. Left for a few more hours and you would've died of blood poisoning if the hypothermia didn't take you first. We were lucky we could save everything above your knees."

He allowed the words to sink in. Travis seemed to go blank for a few moments, unblinking and emotionless. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he breathed slowly.

"C-can I s-see them?"

Doctor Smith didn't need to ask what 'them' was referring to.

"I think it would be best you didn't see them right now. You've had enough to deal with today, and I don't want you to get overly stressed. Relax and try to get some sleep for now."

"Oh, o-okay."

The doctor looked over the machines, nodding.

"Well, I'm afraid there's not much else I can do at the moment. We've got you on some painkillers and anti-swelling medication through the IV. Any allergies or medication you're not allowed to take?"

He shook his head. "No."

"Great. I'll need you to take some antibiotics as well, to prevent the bacterial infection from spreading. Your fever's gone down a bit as well. I think you'll be fine. But we'll need you to stay here for a few more days and rest where we can keep an eye on you. Hospital protocol, you know."

"R-right."

Doctor Smith stood and stretched. "Well, I'm going to go tell the ladies and gentlemen who brought you in that you'll be okay."

Travis looked surprised. "They're still here?"

He nodded. "They've been waiting several hours to make sure you'd be okay. Well, most of them. I think two or three of them went home. If you'd like, I could invite in the people who found you. But if you'd like some time alone to rest, that's perfectly fine."

"…"

"It's all up to you."

"…I'd like to meet them."

"Okay. I'll just warn you up front, there were eleven of them."

"That many?" Travis was shocked. "I only remember two voices. Well, two voices clearly. I heard at least five or six, I think. They were probably the first two I remember? One of them tripped over me, and the other offered me money for food or something."

The doctor patted his shoulder. "How about I ask for those two. If they know who you're talking about, I'll only send those two in for now. How's that?"

Travis nodded. "I would like that very much, thank you."

"Right kiddo, I'll go do that."

Once Doctor Smith left, Travis sighed and looked around the room more closely. There wasn't much to see: an empty bed, a bedside table with flowers on it, the machines, a window that had the blinds closed and curtains closed, and a few tacky pieces of art on the bare, white walls. The lights were dimmed, but still brighter than he'd like. But Travis could do nothing about that.

He dared to look down from his angle at where his legs were. Though it was hard to tell, they definitely looked shorter. He tried to move them, but to no avail. Travis's muscles were still tired, and the numbing pain killers made it all but impossible to feel any sensation below the waist.

Travis propped himself up with his elbows, surprised at the amount of exertion it took. He leaned back into the mound of pillows, letting out a slow breath. Perhaps that wasn't the best idea now. Perhaps he should just relax, just like the doctor said.

Speaking of which, there was a knock on the door. Travis forced his body into a sitting position. Doctor Smith peeked in.  
  
"Travis? I found the two gentlemen who identified themselves with your description. Are you still in the mood to meet them?"

Though he was tired, he nodded. "I would like to, please."

He smiled, and vanished. Travis heard his voice from behind the door. "Okay boys, go ahead. Just remember that his memory is still hazy, so try not to overwhelm him. Also, can you make sure he takes these pills? They're antibiotics."

"Sure thing, doc."

Travis recognized that voice. It was the one that stood out most clearly in his mind.

The first entered the room, holding a little paper Dixie cup in his hand that Travis assumed had the antibiotic pills in it. He was tall, probably six foot or taller, and that was him slumped slightly in the doorframe. His skin was a light tan, as though he would be darker if he'd been exposed to more sunlight. He had dark hair that came to his shoulders in a wavy/curly mess, just a shade of brown before black. The clothes he wore were all dark: black and royal purple, a symbol of some sort he didn't recognize on the front of his t-shirt.

His face, though, captured Travis's attention. There were three thin scars running from his left temple to the bottom of his right cheek, like long claw marks. They were slightly hidden by his flop of bangs, though, and weren't the most notable part of his thin, angular face. Those were his eyes. His eyes were a curious violet color, and seemed to be dull and vibrant all at the same time.

"Hi," Travis said simply.

The stranger grinned widely, expression literally more blinding that the overhead fluorescent lights. "You're alive! Thank God! Motherfuckin' miracle we got you in time!"

Travis stared at him, confused. "Um…what?"

The guy frowned. "Do you not remember anything? Man, we were out and motherfuckin' clubbin' when we saw you come out of nowhere about to up and die on us! And I couldn't let that motherfuckin' happen, bro!"

If anything, Travis was more confused by that explanation.

"Um…I-I, uh…don't know what you're telling me?" he managed.

"Lay off, Gamzee," came a new voice from the back of the room by the door. "I doubt he's in the mood for your foul mouthedness."  
  
Gamzee (it seemed that was the stranger's name) grinned over his shoulder. "What can I say? It's part of the wicked miracle of life!"

"Not that miracle bullshit you drag around with your stupid clown ass. You know what? I don't really care. Whatever you say!"

Travis directed his attention towards the voice. The speaker approached the bed and into the light where Travis could more clearly see him. The owner of the voice was another teen, probably around sixteen or seventeen, and probably about 5'6" or 5'7". He was slim and pale with an unruly amount of black hair, which looked to be dyed so. He wore all black, spare a splash of grey with the shirt peeking out from the collar of his hoodie. What shocked Travis was the color of his eyes. They were a deep blood red. Travis figured they were probably color contacts. That, or the medicine was really messing with his brain.

Said blood red eyes fixated on his own brown ones, a look somewhere between boredom and pity in them. "Poor fucker's probably up to his ears in confusing shit. Am I right?"

"Ah, um…?"

The boy rolled his eyes. "See, what'd I tell ya? Up to his ears in shit! Guess we should start with introductions then. I'm Karkat Vantas, and that douchefucker of a friend of mine is Gamzee Makara. Follow me so far?"

"Karkat...and Gamzee."

Karkat nodded. "Good."

"I'm sorry for interrupting, but are those your, um, real names?"

"Pfft, of course not! What crazy assholes would submit their children to lifelong ridicule over such stupid names? Which aren't stupid, because we chose them ourselves." Karkat paused, thinking it over before brushing it off. "Doesn't matter. But naw, my real name's Carter. And Gamzee's is Garry, short for Gerald. His parents obviously weren't sane when they named him. But we've been going by these nicknames long enough that no one fucking calls us by our real names. None of us."

"'Us?'"

"Us two and the rest of our friends. Well, half of them are more like frenemies, and a couple I just downright hate, but I digress." Karkat stopped before glaring at his friend. "Gamzee! Weren't you supposed to give him his pills?"

"Oh, right. Forgot about that. Here you go, bro!"

"T-thanks."

Their hands brushed. The warmth jolted through Travis, causing him to drop the cup in his lap in shock. Gamzee smiled and picked it up without a care.

"Sorry about that, bro."

"T-that's fine…thank you."

Karkat rolled his eyes. "Clumsy fuckface."

Travis was starting to suspect that Karkat had the fouler mouth of the two.

Gamzee sat at the foot of his bed as he took the pills. He then automatically reached over to the pitcher Travis hadn't noticed on the bedside table and poured him water in the now empty Dixie cup.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

Travis forced the bitter pills down his throat with a long sip. He played with the rim of the empty cup, suddenly awkward again.  
  
"So, um, are you two from Portland?"

Gamzee shook his head, but it was Karkat who replied.

"A little town called Alternia, about a hour and a half's drive east from. Place is the boring shithive of earth! We come over to Portland from time to time when we feel the need for a bigger city setting," Karkat said with a shrug. "What about you? Where're you from?"

Travis hesitated. His hands froze momentarily. "Well, I was born in Mexico. My family moved here when I was still a baby, so I have no memories of it. I visited my grandpa a few times after that, but basically we lived around farmlands until my dad got a job as an auto technician just north of LA."

Gamzee patted him on the hand. "I forgot to ask. What's your name?"

"Uh, m-me? I'm Travis."

"Travis, huh? That doesn't sound very Mexican to me."

"It isn't. My parents wanted to name me 'Tauro,' but decided to give me a more American name so I would fit in more."

Suddenly Gamzee's face lit up. "'Tauro' like a bull?"

"Yeah…why are you aski-"

"When's your birthday?"

"Um, May 10th. Why?"

Gamzee's smile became even bigger, if possible. He turned to Karkat, who looked incredulous.

"He's a Taurus, best friend."

"Yeah, I fucking heard that! I can't believe it…"

"Motherfuckin' miracle!"

Travis looked even more confused. "What?"

Karkat looked back at the boy sitting up in the bed. "Nope! This is not happening tonight. Not while he's still fucking out of it. No point in pulling him in like this."

"We'll explain this some other time, bro," Gamzee promised, standing, "but we should be going home. It's a school night and all."  
  
Travis looked confused. "Um…this may sound silly, but…um, what day of the week is it?"

"It's Sunday," Karkat said. "The last Sunday we've got before Christmas break. Well, it was Sunday. Now it's probably like, fucking 2 AM on Monday."

"Oh, okay." He had lost track of time after all. "Um, thanks. And sorry for keeping you guys here."

Karkat's expression was definitely kinder. "Don't mention it."

"We wanted to make sure you were up and okay, bro. We'll come by in a few days, if we can," Gamzee said. "Gotta help a motherfucker out when he needs it."

"Um, thank you…"

The taller teen grabbed the cup out of Travis's hand and tossed it easily into the trash can by the door as he walked out. "See ya then, Tavros!"

"Tavros?"

Karkat groaned. "We'll explain some other time. Get some sleep. Don't you dare fucking die on us, got it?"

"O…kay?"

"Good."

And with that the door slammed shut behind them. Travis stared at the spot where the two teens had just been, confused. He decided not to dwell on it too long. Already the darkness of sleep was beginning to welcome him back, and he was more than willing to accept it.

Shutting his eyes, Travis let the wave of drug-induced tiredness wash over his sluggish mind as he fell into a dreamless slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, pepperedpotato here.  
> This is the first fic I've posted on this site ~~and HTML format is a b*tch to learn when you have no experience in it.~~ That being said, I'm doing my best to post everything correctly without having to go back and edit the first time.  
>  Please leave me any feedback. It would be greatly appreciated.  
> 


	2. Recovery Road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Scars are not injuries, Tanner Sack. A scar is a healing. After injury, a scar is what makes you whole.”  
> ― China Miéville, _The Scar_

The next three days passed in a blur. Travis slept for most of it, waking up periodically to shift positions or use the bathroom.  
  
The first time he had to go was the first time he'd seen his legs. Or what was left of them.

Doctor Smith has been very patient, explaining how everything was working. Travis had drains coming out of the stumps, which were still bandaged; they were to be taken out in a couple of days. He probably would be in a wheelchair until he was up to trying prosthetics, but it could take time considering he needed several weeks to heal and get used to the situation.

Travis had almost forgotten to go to the bathroom, staring at where his feet used to be. The shock was settling in.

"You'll need to go through some therapy to adjust. It'll start with simple stretches and massaging to keep your muscles loose and blood flowing through your legs," Doctor Smith explained. "The first steps also include getting in and out of a wheelchair. Do you want to try?"

"…I-I-I…" Somehow he couldn't find his voice.

He'd never been that strong. This was going to be new.

Travis had gotten help the first few times, seeing that he also had an IV in his arm, though they had taken away the breathing tube from the night before when his fever had broken. He'd been told the IV would be out soon, since he was able to drink water again.

Overall, Dr. Smith has told Travis he was recovering well. After a day Travis was starting to eat solid food again. He'd actually had so much he ended up throwing up all over the sheets, much to his own embarrassment. No matter how many times the doctor and nurses assured him it was okay, Travis had stuttered apologies multiple times throughout the day.

The nurses were becoming more familiar with him. There was Denise, who always moved his legs so they stretched and made sure there were no infections. And Camille, who would bring his food and have conversations with him about her three toddlers (little triplets). Stan would check and adjust all the machines. He wasn't much of a talker, but he would smile and pat Travis on the head from time to time.

Travis was also given light dumbbells to start lifting with. His lack of arm muscles didn't help his new situation any. After three days with them, Travis felt no better; if anything, he felt weaker because of how self-conscious he got over not being able to do more than twenty reps an arm with five pounds. He'd always been the wimp of the family.

He'd been told a few times that the people who found him had come in or called the hospital, wondering how he was doing. Not one of those people was his family. Travis wasn't surprised. It had been a while since he'd left home; if anything, they'd given up on him. Besides, how would they have known he was in Portland? They probably figured LA if anywhere.

"People called?" he asked. "You mean the people who found me?"

"I've spoken to several of them!" the doctor exclaimed, laughing. "They seemed happy you're doing well."

"Really?" Travis didn't know how to feel about it. "I wish I knew who they were."

"Well, you met two of them."

"I barely remember it," he admitted.

Dr. Smith nodded. "That makes sense. We had you on some strong painkillers, and a lot of patients experience hazy memory while on it. Much more than now. Not to mention you were still feverish then. We've been able to cut back greatly. It seems you have quite a high pain tolerance, Travis."

"It's probably because I was such a klutz as a kid. I would always fall and hurt something."

He didn't mention the bullying.

Doctor Smith had been more than kind to Travis, being there to talk when he wasn't busy doing whatever it was he did. All Travis knew about him (after asking Camille) was that he worked in pediatrics at the ER.

"He has more kindness to give than any other doctor here," she said. "Never mind that he really listens to what others have to say. I doubt he's had a bad day in his life!"

"Really?"

Camille smiled. "That's Smith for you. Watch, he'll bring some gifts for you, since you'll be here for at least another week."

Camille was right. The next day Travis received a few books from Doctor Smith. He suspected the doctor had gone out and gotten them during his lunch break.

"I wasn't sure if this was okay, but I figured it's better to have something," was all he said.

There were a few books that were obviously historical fiction, one of the Harry Potter series (book 4), two Charles Dickens novels, Heidi, a few comics and manga, and…

"Peter Pan?"

"I remember you mentioned something about liking it."

"It was my favorite book as a kid. Though I haven't read it in a long time." He ran a hand over the cover. "Thank you."

"Sure thing."

"I didn't realize I said stuff about it."

"I was trying to get you to relax while the anesthetics kicked in before surgery. You were telling me about Peter Pan, and asking if your brother was there."

Travis swallowed a sudden lump in his throat. "He would always read the book to me before bed. My oldest brother. He's an auto technician now."

"Is he?"

"Yeah." Travis opened the book. "I haven't spoken to him in a long time. He moved out of town when I was in seventh grade, and he hasn't called once since."

The doctor was silent, watching as Travis slowly began to read. The teen's shoulders relaxed, fingers tracing the edges of the pages as he turned through, breathing almost slowing into a trance-like state.

"Just let me know if you run out of reading material."

He chuckled a bit to himself, finding Travis already immersed in the pile of books surrounding him.

And so three days had passed like that: conversations with the nurses, daily check-ups and stretches, pumping iron, eating, and getting in and out of the chair. As uneventful as it was, Travis didn't mind. After almost two months on the streets, drama was the last thing he needed. The lack of it was appreciated.

* * *

It was during the evening on the third day that Travis found change. He was right at the scene where it was discovered Heidi was sleepwalking when there was a knock on the door. He closed his book as the doctor walked in.

"Hi Dr. Smith."

"Hello Travis. How are you doing?"

"Much better, thank you."

"I have some good new for you. You have some visitors."

Travis wasn't expecting that. He sat up a bit. "I do?"

The doctor smiled. "Yes. Those two young gentlemen who brought you in the other day."

"Oh!" He was happy to hear that. "I'd like to see them, please."

"Of course, kiddo. You boys can come in."

The two entered. Travis had to take a moment to think what their names were; with all the nurses running around he was having trouble keeping it all together.

"What is up, my motherfuckin' bro!"

At least he recognized the taller one's voice.

"Hi…um, hi."

The angry one frowned. "Don't tell me you forgot who we are!"

Travis blushed. "I'm sorry. I can't remember you names…"

"Our names? Wow, I guess you were really drugged up then." The guy shrugged, "Whatever, our names are weird. I'm Karkat, he's Gamzee. Ring any bells?"

"Um, yeah. Thanks. How are you guys?"

"Livin' miracles!"

"Fine."

Gamzee bounded over to the bed. "Feelin' any better?"

"Yeah, a lot better, thank you." Travis noticed the plastic bag in the other's hand. "Um, what's that?"

"Oh this?" Gamzee looked at the bag and smiled, handing it over. "Here you go. Some real food for a motherfucker on recovery road."

"I don't think I should, um, eat this. They're watching my diet and stuff here, right?" He didn't want to bring up the fact that anything heavier than plain pasta, steamed vegetables, and applesauce seemed to make him upchuck.

Karkat snorted. "Gamzee doesn't give a shit about rules like that."

"Besides, it's the best motherfuckin' street food in the world!"

"Not to mention we drove to the other side of town just for this because this fuckass wanted it. And parking in Portland is a fucking pain in the ass!"

Gamzee offered it again. "Here, it's Thai."

"Oh, um, thanks."

It did smell good. Travis, unable to resist, accepted the styrofoam container and complimentary chopsticks. "I've never had Thai food before."

"Never?"

He shook his head. "We usually had fast food, or whatever canned goods my mom could make into some decent Mexican food."

"Are you Mexican?"

"Yeah." Hadn't he mentioned that before?

"He told us, idiot," Karkat reminded Gamzee.

"Sorry, must've slipped out of the think pan. But that's awesome. Do you speak Mexican too?"

"Um-"

"It's Spanish, dumbass!"

Gamzee chuckled. "Fu-uck, totally forgot that. Forgive a bro?"

Don't, mouthed Karkat, shaking his head and making a slicing motion with his hand over his throat. Travis smiled, giving the other away. Gamzee just looked over, amused. "Really bro?"

"You're asking for it."

He turned back to Travis. "What say you? Should I be forgiven for being a ditzy motherfucker?"

Not liking the fact that he was put on the spot, the teen answered, "Um, sure."

Karkat's scowl was almost forgotten by the broad smile that illuminated Gamzee's face. Travis was starting to get comfortable around them, which was weird considering he usually shied away from strangers. He even wasn't bothered by the amount of fucks dropped, despite coming from a family that frowned upon the use of any curse word, including 'crap.'

Karkat got his attention again.

"Hey Travis! You in there?"

"Did you say something?"

"I asked if you're going to eat the food or not."

"Oh, yes. Sorry."

He carefully balanced the container of his thighs and opened it. It did look good. Travis fumbled with the chopsticks clumsily before managing some chicken and rice. He took the bite, his eyes widening.

"Good?" Karkat asked.

He didn't reply, simply stuffing as much as his mouth could hold while comfortably chewing. Gamzee immediately reached for the empty cup and water pitcher on the bedside table as he had done the first day, filling it halfway and handing to Travis. The younger teen chugged it, barely stopping.

He laughed. "Easy, bro. Don't want you choking and stuff."

Travis nodded, taking several hurried breaths. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize how bad hospital food was until I had this."

"Pudding's not that bad, though," Ganzee mused.

"I guess not."

"Still, a motherfuckin' shame you're not all into food culture and shit. Terezi'd throw a fit."

Karkat laughed, though no smile graced his face. "As long as it smells good, she'll eat anything."

"Terezi?"

"A friend of ours. You'd like her. She's a bit of a sass muffin, but she gets things," replied Karkat.

Travis nodded. Seeing that the conversation had ended, he went back to eating the food before him. It didn't last five minutes with his sudden enthusiasm. When Travis finished, Gamzee just shook his head and grinned crookedly.

"Damn, bro, we're gonna have to take you out to eat some real food one of these days. Portland's got it all!"

Why Gamzee's grin was so contagious he didn't know, but Travis found himself smiling too. "I guess I'll, uh, take you up on that?"

"You betcha, bitchtits!"

"Watch your fucking mouth," Karkat mumbled, barely paying attention. He was glaring angrily at his phone, which had just made a text tone. Gamzee noticed and laughed.

"Sollux again?"

"Asshat," he muttered and pocketed the device. "Going on about some new code he found and sent to me.

Noting Travis's confusion, Karkat explained, "For your information, Travis, our friend Sollux is an expert hacker. Well, good enough to shut down the school's security and not get caught."

"Oh, okay."

"Anyway, I heard you're recovering and stuff. That's good to hear."

Travis nodded. "It's only getting better. I should be released soon is what Doctor Smith was saying."

"That's awesome, bro!"

"I guess…"

"So," Gamzee asked, "do you have a place to go?"

The smile Travis was starting to build died almost instantaneously. He tried to be subtle about it, but both teens noticed it. They exchanged a glance.

"What's wrong?" Karkat asked finally.

"Nothing. It's just that my family…they don't know where I am. And I don't want to call them. I, uh, ran away from home. That's why I was on the streets."

They didn't say anything. Travis could feel tears prickling in the back of his eyes, which he blinked away furiously. He refused to cry in front of these strangers.

"What am I going to do?" he wondered out loud. "I have no money, no home, and it's not like my family had insurance. And now I can't even walk."

"I know what you should do."

Both Karkat and Travis stared at Gamzee, who had a very determined look on his face. The look eased into a casual smile.

"Were going to up and take you back to my place."

The Vantas was shocked. "You sure that's a good idea?"

He shrugged. "Why not? There's more than enough room at my place, and my old man won't notice a few thousand  bucks vanishing out of thin air. He never has."

"But-"

"If it's about the legal shit, I don't motherfuckin' care. We'll figure it out as we go. For the meantime, we should get poor Tavbro out of this motherfuckin' hospital and into a place with real people and shit. Then he can meet everyone!"

"I'm not sure if this is a good idea…" Travis mumbled, once again ignored

"The doc said this bro is ready to leave in the next few days. He'll just be up and needing some good care for his legs and stuff."

The raven-hair scoffed. "Because you'd be any good at it!"

"Naw, bro, but I bet Kanaya or Aradia would be more than willing to help this poor motherfucker out. Even Terezi. And it's a good way to get to making some motherfuckin' friends in this neck of the woods. I'll troll them about it tonight." He looked at Travis. "What say you?"

Travis hesitated. He barely knew these people, let alone trust them with his life. And he didn't want to feel more in debt, considering Gamzee had just offered to pay for all the hospital fees. Yet there was something about him that put Travis so at ease...

"Well…" he replied, "it's not like I have anywhere to go, so…"

"It's settled, then!" Gamzee hugged him, which shocked Travis beyond belief. "We'll bring clothes tomorrow and get you out of this place!"

Karkat smacked Gamzee on the back of the head. "Lay off, Gamz. Jesus, you're scaring the living shit out of him. Besides, he probably won't be released for another couple of days. You just said that."

"Did I really?"

"Idiot," he muttered. "Besides, it's 6. We should probably get going if we're ever going to finish that fucking Spanish project before tomorrow."

"Right, totally forgot about that!"

"Of course you did." Karkat sighed. "Sorry we have to go, Travis."

"No, don't be sorry. Thank you for coming out here, to see me. You didn't have to."

Gamzee took the empty container from him. "We wanted to. No need to apologize for that!"

"And give me the keys! I don't trust you driving now that it's dark!"

"Sure thing, bro."

Once Gamzee handed over the laniard sticking out of his pocket (which Travis realized had clowns on it), Karkat flipped his phone open to the calendar.

"Let's see, today's Thursday, and we're pretty busy tomorrow, what with break ending and Vriska throwing another stupid party we have to attend. Plus, the truck isn't doing so well so I don't think we should be driving that fucker on the highway to see your sorry ass. No offense."

"Um, none taken?"

Gamzee piped in. "What about Monday? We'll be on break, and it's almost Christmas so no one'll bother leaving home with family coming in."

"I refuse to drive that piece of shit vehicle we share. Like I just fucking stated! And I bet there'll be traffic, and neither of us can drive through that shit."

"Kanaya? What about her? She's always willing to give us rides, especially since she's gotten her car."

Karkat thought for a few seconds. "You think she would?"

"She offered to take in Tavbro here when I brought it up at lunch yesterday."

"You brought it up, to your friends?"

Travis didn't get an answer, but he already knew it.

"You have a point…" Red eyes took a sideways glance over at Travis before clapping his hands and nodding. "Right, that sounds like a plan. I'll send a text to Kanaya and see if she's down."

"Awesome!"

"Good. It's time to go, juggalo."

"Right. See ya in a few days, Tavbro!"

"Bye Gamzee. Bye Karkat."

The door swung open, then shut. There was silence for a moment, but then Gamzee stuck his head back in.

"I almost forgot. What's your favorite color?"

"M-my favorite color?"

The crazy-haired teen nodded.

"I guess, um…brown? Why?"

"No reason, though that is an motherfuckin' awesome color. Like chocolate. Bye!"

And with that the door closed again.

Travis laid back and stared at the ceiling for a few moments, deep in thought. He'd never had people be so friendly to him unless they were teachers or his family. In all honesty, he had no idea what to think of it. Was it pity?

He stared down at his stumps. Probably. At least it wasn't like they were seeing him in spite. They seemed pretty genuine.  
  
Karkat and Gamzee.

Gamzee kept calling him "Tavbro." He'd never had a nickname either. It made him…happy? Travis wasn't sure. That was probably it.

He must've dozed off, because he was woken by Denise, who was shaking his shoulder lightly.

"Travis?"

"Mmm?"

"It's time to stretch your legs. I also brought dinner."

He rubbed his bleary eyes. "I'm not hungry. Gamzee and Karkat brought me food. I'm sorry. I wasn't sure if I was allowed to eat it or not."

"It was a bit of food. I'm sure it's not a big deal."

"Okay."

Travis felt his left leg being lifted. He closed his eyes and let the massage happen. Usually two or three times a day Denise would come in and do this. She explained how it helped, but he was too tired to reflect on it.

"They said they'd take me home," Travis murmured to no one in particular.

Denise heard him. "Really? Once you're allowed to be released?"

"Mmmhmm."

"That's nice dear."

She was moving to the other leg now, giving it the same careful treatment. Travis liked that. He knew some people would rush through it, but not Denise. She treated it so professionally.

"All done," she said after a few minutes. "I'll be back tomorrow."

"Okay."

"Would you like me to turn off the light?"

"Yes please."

She did. "Goodnight, Travis."

"Goodnight."

And so it was decided that Travis would have a new home in a small town called Alternia an hour and a half's drive east of Portland. He didn't know of all the plans everyone had made for him, or what was in store, but for once there was a constant developing in life.

A place he would soon call home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm a few weeks behind the timeline, which I shall post periodically.  
>  _12/15/13 - Tavros found in Portland, all the kids take him to the ER, meets Gamzee and Karkat_  
>  _12/19/13 - Gamzee and Karkat come back to visit, agreed that Tavros will be staying at Gamzee's house until further developments_  
>  I hope everyone liked this. I wrote chapter 3 in advance so I should be posting it soon.  
> -pp


	3. New Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “And the danger is that in this move toward new horizons and far directions, that I may lose what I have now, and not find anything except loneliness”  
> ― Sylvia Plath

Before he knew it Monday was upon him. Travis was restless, flipping through his small collection of new books, then getting in and out of his wheelchair for no reason, then lifting his dumbbells for a while. Never had he been this anxious about anything. Not even running away from home.

Denise came in to help him stretch one last time, adjusting his compression socks at the same time. He had to wear them now that the drains were out.

"I briefed the people taking you in," she told Travis. "They know the basics when it comes to changing your bandages, but other than that I expect you to keep up with your stretches, got it?"

"Mmmhmm."

She smiled and patted his legs. "I think you'll be fine. Just remember to come in for checkups every few weeks. Don't soak your legs until we say it's okay to. And call if anything changes."

"Okay. Thank you."

Camille also had a few goodbyes to say. She brought him his last hospital meal, complete with extra pudding.

"I had to go through hell and back for that," she joked with a wink.

Travis laughed. He would miss the staff here for sure. They were always in a jovial mood, even when he wasn't. Heck, even Stan (who didn't need to check on him as much after they'd lowered his medicine doses) would come in during his free time just to ask how he was faring. The amount of care they showed was more than Travis had expected in such a short time.

Stan had brought Travis a large paper bag in which he'd shoved all of his belongings. All of them were new things for him. It struck Travis that he would soon be in a place that was completely new to him in every way. The thought was kind of scary.

He didn't have long to dwell on that though for there was the knock. He sat up a bit. "Yes?"

"Hey Travis." Dr. Smith walked in, Gamzee and Karkat right behind him. "These two have already signed you out. We got written permission from Gerald's dad, so you're all clear."

Travis had almost forgotten Gamzee wasn't his real name.

"I can go, then?"

The doctor nodded.

"Ready?" Karkat asked.

Travis shrugged, suddenly nervous. "I guess so."

"Alright. Here." He shoved a plastic bag into Travis's lap. It was soft. "Before we go, though, you need to more presentable to the general public. Some clothes."

"Isn't what I'm wearing okay?"

"Do you want to be seen in that?"

Travis looked down at himself. Karkat did have a point. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt and very loose basketball shorts, both he'd received from the hospital staff. Not to mention he hadn't showered every day. And his underwear were not in the best condition.

"I, um…"

"Besides," Gamzee cut in, "it's pretty cold outside, especially compared to Cali. I mean, it's snowing like a miracle outside!"

"Oh! Right!" Travis turned to the doctor. "Do you mind if I change in the bathroom first? Before I go, I mean."

Dr. Smith smiled. "Of course you may."

"Thank you."

Gamzee pushed Travis's chair into the adjacent bathroom.

"I'll leave you to it, then. Just give me a holler if you need anything."

"Thank you."

The door closed behind him. Travis didn't bother to lock it. He felt safe knowing it was just the two teens and a doctor outside.

There was a mirror in the bathroom. It had been there since day one, but Travis hardly noticed it. Until today. He sat and stared at his reflection. Travis hadn't spent a lot of time in his life looking in mirrors; if anything he'd avoided them. Now he stared.

The person staring back didn't look like the Travis Martinez he remembered. Cheeks no longer as round as they were, cheekbones more prominent, eyes rimmed with darker colors, skin paler, hair starting to grow out again. The only thing that hadn't changed were the eyes themselves. They still seemed too big and too vacant.

Travis turned the chair away with a jerk and forced his gaze down to the bag in his lap. There was clothing in there, all of it smelling fresh like dryer sheets. It was a relieving breath of freshness after almost a week of the stale, chemical-y air of the hospital. Travis pulled it out so he could see.

There was a shirt that came to about mid-forearm, plain white with brown sleeves, along with a grey tank top. He slipped them both on with ease. There was also, strangely enough, a green bandana. Unsure how to wear it Travis tied it loosely around his neck.

A black pullover came with the entourage. It was soft and much warmer than anything he'd ever worn in his life. Travis pulled it on over his head, his mohawk getting mussed in the process. Popping his head out of the hood, he continued.

There was a pair of dark jeans and fresh cotton boxers. Great. Travis sighed and began to force his lower half to cooperate.

It took a few minutes, but Travis somehow managed to shimmy out of his shorts and into the new boxers. They came a few inches above where his legs ended. The sight was still something for him to get used to. Travis distracted himself by balling up the underwear and throwing them away. No point in keeping them.

The jeans were another story. Aside from the fact that they were too long, they were much tighter than anything Travis had ever owned before. It wasn't that they didn't fit. He'd never been one for a slimmer fit.

After struggling for a while, he was ready to give up.

"Great," he muttered under his breath.

There was a bang on the door. Travis jumped.

"You alive in there, fuckass?"

"Y-yes?"

A sigh. "What the hell's taking you so long?"

"Um, I was just, you know, changing."

Gamzee's voice now. "Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just…it's harder than I though."

"You need help, bro?"

He flushed scarlet. "Just with the pants…"

"Got it. I'm up and coming in there, so don't be alarmed, okay?"

"O-okay."

The door slid open just enough for the lanky teen to sidle in. Travis suddenly realized how awkward the whole situation was. He'd never been more underdressed in front of a non-family member in his life, aside from gym class.

Though he was embarrassed, Gamzee didn't seem to take any notice in the fact that Travis wasn't wearing pants. Instead he grabbed the jeans from the hips and straightened them out.

"Okay Tavbro, now I'm gonna need you to grab me around the neck so I can slip these fuckers on, alright?"

"O-okay!"

He did as he was told. Gamzee leaned down for a better angle.

"Okay, I'm gonna stand on the count of three. Ready?"

Travis nodded.

"One, two, three."

Gamzee was much stronger than Travis had expected. Though he himself could barely hang on, the other didn't even seem strained. He not only pulled Travis's pants up all the way, but he managed to hold the smaller teen up by the waist with a free one. The entire process took less than ten seconds, but it felt like an eternity to Travis. He was relieved when he was finally set down again.

"I'm sure you can zip yourself up there, bro," Gamzee said as he began to roll up the jeans.

Travis nodded. It took some time to get the useless legs of the jeans all the way up, but once it was done Gamzee nodded and began to wheel Travis towards the door. The younger couldn't help but notice all of the clothing was much tighter than anything he'd ever owned. All he had back home were hand-me-downs from his older brothers.

"Belt?"

"What?"

Gamzee pulled a belt out of the bag; Travis didn't realize there was one. "Think you need a belt?"

"Oh, no. I'm good."

It was coiled up and put back in the bag, which was hanging from one of the handles. Gamzee pulled Travis out backwards so the door wouldn't hit him. Even that little gesture made Travis feel a bit less…forgotten?

When they got out, Karkat was putting his phone back in his pocket.

"Kanaya just called. She picked up some coffee for everyone and pulled up front."

"Awesome!"

Dr. Smith stood up from the chair by the bed, holding Travis's big bag of belongings. "I'll walk you three to the main entrance then."

They left the room. Travis looked over his shoulder one last time to the now-vacant place, a place he had called home for a week, before the door closed. He then turned his attention back up to the hallway they were traveling down.

It looked like any generic hospital room from any generic hospital show. More white walls, closed doors, doctors in blue-green uniforms and white jackets, and even a janitor. A few greeted Dr. Smith and smiled at Travis. It seemed they knew who he was.

The elevator ride was short and silent. Down three floors and the chrome doors opened with a ding. The doctor lead the small party down to a small desk area near a waiting room. He stopped and turned towards them.

"Well then, here we are. The gateway to the free world."

Travis, despite his usually shy demeanor, accepted the hug that the doctor gave him.

"Be strong," he said. "You're a good kid, and you'll be fine."

"Thank you, doctor. For everything."

Their embrace broke and they exchanged smiles. "Sure thing, kiddo. You all take care now. Happy holidays."

"You too!"

Doctor Smith stood up. "Well boys, you know how to get out. Down the hall to your right, and keep walking until the end."

After a few more goodbyes, they left. Karkat was leading the way slightly, now holding the bag full of Travis's stuff, Gamzee pushing the younger teen's wheelchair. The hallway was abandoned except for them.

It suddenly hit Travis that he was truly leaving with two strangers he'd only met on two occasions, something completely irrational and overall stupid on his part. He didn't really know them. There was a part of him, the rational part in the back of his mind, telling him that this was a bad idea. The though wriggled through him and Travis found he was nervously picking at the sleeves of his new black hoodie.

"Did you guys choose this?" he asked, trying to strike up some conversation to quell the nervousness.

"The clothes?" asked Gamzee. "Naw, that was my motherfuckin' sister."

"You have a sister?"

"She's not really our sister," Karkat cut in. "We just feel as though our friends are family. Most of us don't have siblings, so we're really close."

Travis was interested. "Do you have any siblings, Karkat?"

"Me? No."

"You do have a Kankri, though."

"Oh God. Don't you dare fucking mention him!"

The terrified expression on Karkat's face prompted Travis to ask, "Who's Kankri?"

Gamzee pointed a thumb at his friend. "His relative."

"Unfortunately. An older cousin. Sir Talk-A-Lot, I called him as a kid. Now it's Mr. I-Don't-Understand-How-You-Can-Talk-So-Fucking-Much! Fucking narcissist loves hearing his own damn voice." Karkat groaned. "Thank God he's in college."

Travis laughed a bit, causing Karkat to scowl.

"Not cool man. Do you know how bad freshman year sucked when he was a senior? All my teachers had him, and they all just fucking assumed I would be just like him! A talker! Me! No wonder everyone called him 'The Insufferable' behind his red sweater-clad back!"

"Really?"

Gamzee nodded.

"Yeah bro. One crazy motherfucker from what I remember. Like Karkat said, he's in college now." They exited the hospital. Gamzee was wheeling them towards the pick-up area. "What about you? You got any siblings?"

"Three older brothers and three older sisters."

"Damn! Big family. That must be fun!"

"I guess it was. I used to be close to them, because I was the baby of the family and all, but not anymore. They're all working now."

"Sounds lonely," Karkat noted. "Must've spent a lot of time out with friends."

Travis shrugged. He didn't feel like telling them he never had any close friends after elementary school.

They reached the end of the hallway, the automatic doors sliding open silently. The sudden cold hit Travis like a truck and he shivered violently. Gamzee noticed.

"Cold?"

"A bit." He looked around. "The snow is a new thing for me."

"It usually rains here," Karkat said. "Fucking depressing."

"Look," Gamzee said, pointing. "There's our ride."

Travis noticed a Toyota Prius sitting nearby. It was just under the roofed area of the pick-up area. Gamzee began to push Travis's chair towards it, Karkat following close behind, his cell phone in his hand again.

The person got out of the Prius. Travis was having trouble seeing her as only in high school, considering how mature she looked. Though it wasn't so much of how she looked, but how professionally and confidently she held herself.

The person in question had short black hair that swept out slightly in a neat, orderly short of way. Her skin was a deep brown and her lips jade green. She was wearing a three-quarter length red skirt and black turtleneck with knee-high leather boots and a simple jade pendant. She waved to the small party as they approached.

Gamzee leaned down by Travis's ear to speak over the slushy white pounding the roof. "This is our sis."

"Technically, we're friends, but I'm sure the boys have already explained it to you."

Travis nodded, shocked by the very British accent the woman before him spoke in. She smiled kindly, showing strong white teeth with slightly protruding canines.

"My name is Katherine Maryam, but most everyone calls me Kanaya. A pleasure to meet you…"

"Travis," he choked out, shaking her hand hastily.

"Hello, Travis." Kanaya stood up. "I suppose it would be easier if he sat in the front seat. Do you two mind?"

"Not at all, sister!"

Shrug. Angry texting. Since when had Karkat taken his phone out?

The woman smiled. "Well then. Gamzee, could you help Travis into the car? I'll put his wheelchair in the trunk if you would take care of that. It folds down, right?"

"Sure thing, and yes it up and motherfuckin' does. Here Tavbro."

Travis allowed himself to be lifted by those arms again and gently placed into the passenger seat. He heard the car's trunk slam a few seconds later. Travis fastened his seatbelt as the others got in.

"I'm glad the clothing fit," Kanaya said to him. "Gamzee and Karkat said you were petit, but those two had very vague descriptions. Do you like them?"

He nodded.

"I'm glad."

Kanaya put the key in the ignition and start the car, pulling out. The quietness of the vehicle shocked him a bit; Travis had never been in an electric car before.

"Got our coffee, sister?" Gamzee asked.

"Ah yes. I'd almost forgotten. Here." She stopped at a stop sign and glanced down at the four paper cups in the cup holding cardboard. "One Caramel Brûlée latte."

"Thanks, sis!"

"One Peppermint Mocha cappuccino."

Karkat took the drink silently.

Kanaya turned to Travis. "I wasn't sure what you'd like, so I got you a caramel macchiato. I hope you don't mind."

"O-oh, n-not at all! Thanks you for getting me something."

Travis had never had Starbucks coffee in his life, though he'd seen many of the popular kids at his old school drinking some. It wasn't anything worth squandering money over in his life.

"What did you decide to taste test today, Kanaya?" Karkat asked.

"I purchased a hot chocolate. I felt the need to indulge a bit."

She took a sip before continuing to drive. Travis held his drink in his hands, allowing the heat to ease into his fingers. A shiver found its way down his spine.

"Are you warm enough?"

Travis realized the question was directed towards him. He shook his head slightly. "Sorry, I'm a b-bit chilly."

"Gamzee mentioned you were from California," she mused as she turned up the heat. "I'm sorry I didn't anticipate more. It's usually a bit warmer here. There's more winter wear at the home that you can try on later. Gloves, hats, scarves."

"Th-thank you."

He found he was stuttering a lot in her presence. Kanaya wasn't intimidating, per say, just very adult-like and motherly. It made him nervous, and Travis wasn't exactly one to be overly confident when meeting new people.

After a few more silent minutes Kanaya merged onto the highway. "Which exit number was it again? Seventeen?"

"Sixteen, I think. I know it's labeled 'east' or something."

There was utmost silence as Kanaya drove all the way until she got off at the right exit heading east. It was only broken by the occasional sipping of coffee.

"So what brought you to Portland, Travis?"

Travis, who had been busy staring at the alien world of trees and mountains around him, swallowed. "I don't really want to talk about it."

Kanaya bit her lip slightly. "I'm sorry. That was quite insensitive of me."

"N-no! Don't be sorry!" He looked back down at his cup, flustered.

An awkward silence spread. No sounds except for the noise of passing cars and the quiet classical music on the radio.

Karkat was, unsurprisingly, the first to snap. "Augh! I can't take it anymore. It's too fucking silent in here! Plus, Sollux is being an ass. Can we please have a normal conversation like normal fucking people so this car ride isn't going to be as long and insufferable as it's beginning to fucking feel!"

"Can't even enjoy fifteen minutes of silent miracles, eh bro?"

"Fuck off!"

"Then what topics would you suggest we discuss, Karkat?" Kanaya asked, glancing into the rearview mirror at him.

"I dunno. Ask Travis."

Travis had no ideas, and ended up stuttering some before blushing and falling silent again. Karkat sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"How about this? Tell us a bit about yourself or something," he suggested.

"Yeah!" Gamzee agreed. "We could go in a circle, tell each other one fact about ourselves. It's like a motherfuckin' ice cracker!"

"Ice breaker. It's ice breaker, numbnuts."

"Yeah, that's what I meant."

"That seems like a good idea," mused Kanaya. "If that is okay with you."

"Um, sure, I guess?"

"Excellent. I suppose I'll start. Any topics we want to discuss?"

The angry teen shrugged. "Simple things. How about how old we are?"

Kanaya nodded. "I'm seventeen."

"Sixteen," said Karkat.

"Same."

"You're almost seventeen, dickface!"

"Alright. What he said."

Travis smiled a bit at the exchange. "I'm fifteen."

"My turn!" Gamzee said enthusiastically. "Alright, favorite instrument!"

"Viola," said Kanaya.

After a moment of hesitation, Karkat muttered, "The piano, I guess. I suck ass at playing it, though."

"Guitar."

"I…I'm not sure. I guess I like drums?"

"Is that a fucking question?"

"Drums," Travis said a bit more decisively. "Should I think of something to ask?"

"Go for it, brother."

"Okay, um, favorite childhood books, or um, games? Maybe a pastime?"

Kanaya smiled at a fond memory. "I did love reading fairy tales, like the Brothers Grimm. And my mum would read me the stories written by Beatrice Potter when I was a child. A pastime? I did read a lot of books, and I was into drawing for a spell."

"I liked to run. Now it's a pain in the ass. I would go to the park and play with some of the other kids in the neighborhood. That's about it."

"I loved painting on the walls. Colors are like motherfuckin' miracles for the eyes! I used to always have paint everywhere and anywhere I could with anything and everything. Like maple syrup and gravy. Might've dug in the toilet once!"

Kanaya grimaced a bit at the comment. Travis choked on his latte.

"Gross," Karkat stated. "Didn't need that fucking description."

"You already know this, best friend. Told you ages ago. Anyway, got colors up and all over everything too. My dad had me a separate room just so I could throw paint all over the walls." Gamzee laughed. "Shit man, those were the days!"

The company turned to Travis. "I loved Peter Pan. I still do. My oldest brother would always read it to me when I was a kid. He also got me into Pokémon. We would collect cards with our allowance and trade and have battles. He got me a Pikachu plush for my eleventh birthday."

A happy silence.

"What about now, everyone? For Travis's sake." Kanaya started. "For example, I still like to draw and I'm planning to go into fashion design. I also play the viola and cello."

"I'm not into much of anything. Just MMORPG's," Karkat stated with a shrug.

Gamzee's reply was vague. "Music and miracles."

Travis was slightly embarrassed when he admitted he was still into Pokémon, but never had a DS game.

"I really wanted Pokémon X or Y for the 3DS, but there's no way I can afford it."

Their conversations continued like that for the next forty-five minutes. Travis learned that Kanaya was originally from London and moved to the United States after primary school. She'd lived in New York state for five years before her mother, an interior designer and modeling photographer, decided to move from there to Oregon. The two lived in a flat in Alternia. Kanaya enjoyed orchestral music and would Skype a friend named Rose every day, who lived back in Rainbow Falls, NY.

Karkat lived with his dad, who apparently didn't get along with him. He didn't do much except for gaming and wasn't huge on the socializing thing either. His best friend was a girl they called "Terezi," who Travis had picked up was blind. Karkat's least favorite food was crab. He lived in Washington state for a time in middle school before coming back to Alternia freshman year. It was there where he met and was still in contact with a person his age named John, though Karkat's lifelong friend was Gamzee.

Gamzee was definitely the stranger out of the three. Capricious, that was the word for him. He didn't have much to say about his family aside from the fact that his dad "did business work in Washington DC" and that they did come from money. He seemed to like anything sweet, colorful, or musical. He would have occasional rapoffs with a guy named Dave from Texas, who the group had met through Rose as an Internet correspondent/friend. Gamzee liked slam poetry and singing, though he said he needed inspiration for both. And he was pretty good at cooking too.

All three were friends somehow through a larger group that consisted of eight others, who they'd promised Travis would meet eventually.

Before he knew it, Kanaya was pulling off from the highway and through a town. "We're about ten miles out from town right now. This is the closest shopping centre near us. Do you want to stop and get anything?"

After a series on no's, she continued driving through the town until they turned into some back roads. They were quiet once more, but this quiet was much more comfortable. Travis took the moment to look out the window.

Trees. He'd never seen so much green in his life. Tall pines and cedars, bare oaks and maples, many others he couldn't identify. Moss seemed to cling to everything, despite the slushy layer of snow, which was still coming down from the heavy grey clouds. There were also some mountains in the distance. The car drove past a small sign that said "Welcome to Alternia."

Houses began to spring up, a few at first, but then more until they'd entered a cul-de-sac. Kanaya slowed down, turning left into a driveway practically hidden by trees. The only indication there even was one was a mailbox and a small lantern adorning an open gate.

"This is it, Tavbro," Gamzee said, leaning forward in his seat so he was next to Travis's ear. "I live here. And now so do you!"

The house came up as they rounded a bend. Travis's eyes widened a fraction.

It was a large two-story building, brick, with more windows than not. It was placed near the edge of a woods where a backyard could be seen. One of the windows on the second floor lead out to a balcony that overlooked the front yard, also surrounded by trees that hid the house from the main road.

Gamzee hopped out of the car and patted the back twice, signaling Kanaya to open the trunk. She did without question. Travis opened his door and unbuckled the seatbelt as Gamzee came back up with his wheelchair, bag of possessions slung on one of the handles.

The older teen was holding an umbrella over them so it wouldn't get wet.

"Need help?"

"No, I'm fine."

He placed his now-empty Starbucks cup in the cup holder and pulled himself into the chair, landing awkwardly on his elbows until finally sitting up. Travis reached for his trash, but Kanaya just smiled and shook her head.

"You can leave your empty cup in here, but just this once."

"Thanks for the ride, sis," Gamzee called.

"Of course."

Karkat got out. "No need to close your door, Travis. I'll sit up front now."

"Okay."

"Kanaya, can you drop me off as Terezi's? She texted me about something."

"Indeed." She looked amused. "Gamzee, I'll be back in about twenty-five minutes to help everyone settle in. Will that be adequate?"

"Sure thing, sister."

"I'll see you soon then. You too, Travis."

He waved awkwardly. Karkat hopped into the passenger seat and slammed the door before the car pulled out of the driveway and out of sight. Gamzee balanced the umbrella over the wheelchair and began pushing him up to the mansion.

"Well, we have a spare bedroom downstairs. A few other motherfuckers and I put it together yesterday. There's not much, but I hope it'll be up and good for you."

"You did that for me? But you don't even know me?"

Gamzee shrugged, getting to the door and fumbling around his pockets for the key. "No problem. Think of it as a 'Welcome to Alternia' present. Besides, you seem like one chill motherfucker. Wouldn't want you up and back on the streets for a while now."

He grunted as he pushed Travis up the two stairs in front of the door. The moment they entered the house, Gamzee quickly punched in a security code by the main entrance.

"Forgot to do that once," he admitted with a chuckle. "Wasn't pretty."

The two were standing in a foyer; there was a foyer! There was a coat rack and an umbrella rack beside the door. Gamzee kicked off his shoes and put the folded umbrella away. He vanished down a the hallway to his right, leaving Travis sitting awkwardly. Somewhere in the distance a clock struck three.

Gamzee came back a minute later carrying a towel.

"Should probably dry off those motherfuckin' wheels of yours," he said casually. "Don't wanna leave any dirt tracks all over the place."

Travis felt pretty pathetic, unable to help much, though Gamzee insisted he was fine. After the job was done, Travis was lead down the hallway to the left. He glanced around, suddenly uneasy.

The house smelled…empty. Like too much clean and not enough lived-in. Everything around him was pristine: white walls with tasteful decorations, hardwood floors covered in Persian rugs, and not a soul in sight.

"We usually have a couple of cleaning peoples around, but my dad gave them off for the holiday," Gamzee explained.

He pushed the younger passed a few closed doors and an open one. Peering in, Travis could make out a library of some sort. They also passed a sitting room where several plush armchairs and a crackling fire gave a very inviting atmosphere. Travis didn't have much of a look as Gamzee suddenly turned him 180 degrees and parked him in front of a door. It just happened to be the last door.

"This is where you'll be stayin' for the time being. Hope it works."

He opened the door. Once opened, Gamzee pushed Travis's wheelchair through the door. The teen looked around, gasping.

For starters, the room was large, larger than his family's living room in the apartment back in California. Half of it (the half closer to the door) was hardwood; the further side was covered in fluffy-looking carpet, an cubism-based mix of reds, oranges, yellows, and browns.

The walls on the hardwood half were white, and lined with shelves. Travis noticed they were several he could reach from a sitting position, as well some higher up. The carpeted side was tan with a dark red theme lining it unevenly. It took a moment, but Travis could make out the shape of cliffs.

There was a bed, covered in coffee brown sheets, matching pillowcases covering the pillows. Built around the bed was a wooden frame so he could lift himself up when getting on and off. Several lamps were set up around the room. There was even a small secretary desk with a cork board above it. The chair was even set so it wouldn't roll away.

But what impressed Travis the most was the panorama window on the furthest side opposite of the door and past the bed. It overlooked the woods (where it was currently beginning to rain rather than snow). A creek ran by, snaking through the trees and abundant green foliage like a silver ribbon. The window was shaped in a way that there was a ledge to sit on and look out, which was also piled high with pillows.

"You like it?" Gamzee asked.

"Wow…" he breathed. That was all he could manage.

The other chuckled. "Here. I can show you everything without having to push you around everywhere."

Gamzee wheeled Travis to the bed, where he parked the wheelchair. Travis hauled himself out carefully and onto the bed. It was definitely a nice one; not too hard, yet soft enough to be enticing. Then he turned to where Gamzee was standing and smiling.

"Well, this is your new room. It was the old master bedroom no one wanted to use. Both my parents and me got our rooms upstairs. But with stairs being a no for you, guess there was use for this place after all!

"I wasn't sure what you'd have and stuff, so we all built around what we though was practical. Some shelves and stuff, a desk, bed, even this couch here."

Travis hadn't noticed the couch initially. He did now that Gamzee was lounged on it and staring at him directly opposite of the bed. Some beanbag chairs were also scattered near the couch.

The Makara stood and walked towards the hardwood, crossing over and pointing to the various attractions to be found. "We got this desk and cork board from Sollux's basement, and the chair was sitting around someone's house collecting dust so that came too.

"The shelves were Terezi's idea. She's blind, so she's all about less clutter and more practicalty-ness, or whatever that motherfuckin' word was. She also suggested we do this!"

He waved his hand around towards the hooks on the back of the door and near the entrance. "Never thought having coat hangers on a door would be a good idea, but it makes sense.

"Oh! And if you check under the bed, we got some boxes to store all your compression bandages and whatever else those doctors were saying you needed."

Indeed they were there.

"There's an empty one too, if you ever decide on prosthetics. Just to be safe. I guess you can use it for whatever for now." Gamzee shrugged. "If you need anything else, like a computer or something, we can talk about it. Not a motherfuckin' problem at this point."

Travis was in shock. They would do that for him? For him? And they considered him staying long enough to try prosthetics too?

"Kanaya had a great time designing all the color schemes and all. Miracle we were able to up and buy everything with all the crowded stores before the holidays. Took for-fucking-ever to complete this project, but damn it came out good! The only downer is that this room doesn't have a closet closet you can up and use easily. So we got you a bunch of drawers instead."

Noting the lack of reaction, Gamzee stopped talking. "Something wrong, bro?"

"All this…" Travis swallowed tightly, gesturing around, "for me?"

"Sure thing, Tavbro."

He could feel tears, and it wasn't something he wanted to have Gamzee see. "Why? Why do this?"

Gamzee, oblivious to Travis's tears, scratched the back of his head and shrugged while looking around the room. "I dunno. It felt like the right thing to do, and I just always up and trust my gut. It's lead me to more than one motherfuckin' miracle.

"I mean, I was following my gut when we were walking down the street we found you. Told them we should take a short-cut when Karkat up and tripped over your legs."

"Was it a short-cut?" Travis asked.

Gamzee laughed. "Nope. But it led us to you. And we got you to the hospital in time, which was more of a miracle than I could ask for. I feel like it was all meant to be, ya know?"

"I think so?" he murmured.

"And then when I heard you would be okay, after all the surgery scare…damn, that was something, bro. Never felt more relieved in my motherfuckin' life." He looked down at Travis and grinned. "Besides, you seem like one of those people who deserve another motherfucking chance."

He then blinked. "You okay, Tav?"

Travis sniffled a bit, rubbing his eyes. "Y-yeah. I'm fine. Just a bit overwhelmed, I guess."

"Well, you can take all the time in the world to settle in, if that's what you up and need. We'll give you some motherfuckin' space. No need to meet those brothers and sisters all up and at once."

Gamzee patted him on the shoulder. "Wanna see the bathroom?"

"O-okay. Sure."

Travis barely flinched when Gamzee helped him into his wheelchair and pointed to a door he'd initially assumed was a closet.

"You got your own bathroom. It's just in this door here." Gamzee took Travis to the closed door connecting his bedroom to the bathroom. "We had this altered to help with everything. There's a bar, and a seat, so you can shower. And the shower head comes off. We didn't have one that was on the side, so just left it all dangly like a motherfucker and stuff."

Travis had to admit this was much more lavish than he'd expected. The walls were cream tile, the floor white, and the tub an off-yellow. The lights gave an orange glow to the whole room.

"Didn't know what toothpaste or shampoos and shit you use, so it's just some unopened stuff we found." Gamzee shrugged absentmindedly. "If you want, we can go downtown today. Not much to see, but it can be pretty motherfuckin' fun to see a new place, right?"

Travis nodded.

"Oh, and if you need help getting in and out of the shower, I can do it for now. My old man suggested hiring someone, but since it's so close to the holidays we decided not to up and rush it for now."

"Thanks you. I-I mean, thank you. Thanks. Anything that's gratitude. That didn't make sense. Oh, great, I'm rambling!"

Travis hid his blush. Gamzee chuckled.

"Aw, why say that? I thought it was pretty cute."

He tried not to dwell on the words. Thankfully, Travis's stomach chose that precise moment to growl noticeably, sparing him from the previous embarrassment. Though it did trigger a new one.

"Hungry, bro?"

"A bit…" he admitted.

Gamzee grinned. "Well then, why didn't you up and motherfuckin' say anything? We've got plenty of food in the kitchen! Anything your in the mood for."

"Something simple, I guess. I'm still not able to eat anything super heavy, so…"

"Sandwiches?"

Travis looked up and nodded. "That sounds good."

"Sweet! We've got some bread sitting around. And Kanaya'll be back in a few so we could make extra for her!"

Gamzee pushed Travis out of the bathroom and towards the kitchen, still talking with a crooked grin on his face. The younger couldn't help but smile a little at the Makara's enthusiasm. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now the timeline.  
>  _12/15/13 - Tavros found in Portland, all the kids take him to the ER, meets Gamzee and Karkat_  
>  _12/19/13 - Gamzee and Karkat come back to visit, agreed that Tavros will be staying at Gamzee's house until further developments_  
>  _12/23/13 - Kanaya drives the three to Alternia, Tavros moves in_  
>  Thanks for reading, and I hope to see all you french fries again!  
> -pp


	4. Adjusting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'll never stop dreaming that one day we can be a real family, together, all of us laughing and talking, loving and understanding, not looking at the past but only to the future."  
> -LaToya Jackson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm one of those people who loves writing domestic things like eating and being boring, so this story'll take it's swell time getting to anything plot related.
> 
> Quick note: at some point Tavros will be speaking in Spanish. That will be in italics.
> 
> Happy reading!

They ended up making several more sandwiches than they knew what to do with. Gamzee's kitchen (a wide space with tile floors and gleaming chrome appliances) proved to be well stocked. They'd used a half loaf of bread between the two of them, an odd mix of peanut butter and jelly, bologna and mayonnaise, cucumber, and some leftover tuna salad that happened to be sitting in the refrigerator.

Travis was in the middle of being moved to a barstool so he could comfortably make grilled cheese sandwiches when the doorbell rung.

"That's gotta be Kanaya," Gamzee said. "Mind if I let her in?"

Travis shook his head. Gamzee grinned and left the room, back a minute later with Kanaya following him.

"Isn't it a bit late for lunch?" she asked. "Or should I ask if it's too early for dinner?"

"Dunno. Both?" the older replied with a shrug as he offered Travis a spatula.

"What time is it?" Travis asked. He hadn't had much of a grasp on time since, well, running away.

Kanaya didn't find the question strange at all. "Almost 4:30."

Well, that explained the hunger. Travis nodded as he turned his attention to the sizzling sandwich. He hoped he didn't put too much butter in the pan.

Gamzee didn't seem to notice anything, helping himself to a PB&J sandwich. "Want some, sister?"

"I'll pass, but thank you for the offer."

The two started falling into more domestic talk, mostly involving a slew of names Travis couldn't keep track of, so he focused his energy on the browning bread. He'd always liked grilled cheese, though peanut butter was his favorite.

He flipped the sandwich over with ease and was very pleased to see the bread was browning nicely. He quickly made two more in succession, placing them neatly on the plate. It took a few tries to turn off the stove, seeing that it was a fancy digital one without dials. Once he managed, though, Travis took a bite out of the newly-made sandwich and hummed in appreciation. They'd used pepper jack cheese, and its gooey warmth flooded his tastebuds with a familiar tingle.

The plate was half empty by the time Travis turned his attention back to it. The culprit was obviously Gamzee, who had practically inhaled everything. When Kanaya gave him a questioning glance, Gamzee just shrugged and stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"Forgot to eat today."

"Again?"

"Shit happens."

Kanaya shook her head and rested it against her fingers. "I swear, you are one of the most infuriating people I know."

Travis smiled and ate another sandwich. He chewed, enjoying the crunch of the cucumber. He paused halfway through when he noticed Kanaya watching him thoughtfully.

"Is there, um, something on my face?"

"Oh!" She jolted out of her stare. "No, not at all. I'm sorry. I was just making sure all of the clothing fit. I only bought enough clothes to last a week in case it was uncomfortable. Do you thing this is adequate?"

Travis nodded, taking another bite. "Bit tighter than I'm used to."

"Is it?"

"Hand-me downs."

"Ah."

A slight pause. Kanaya nodded slowly, thinking.

"I think," she said, "I will take you out to choose some clothing this weekend. Perhaps with a couple of our closer friends. Just to venture out."

When she saw Travis's hesitation, she added, "I promise you they are very sweet people. I would only bring one or two people along, and it would be for a second opinion. If that is okay with you?"

"Um, yeah. That's fine."

"Great. I'll contact you for further details. Will Saturday work?"

Gamzee nodded. "I've got no plans, and I wanted to go out and see Karkat. It'd be good for Tavbro to get out and see the sights."

Well, that was fast. Travis wasn't one to 'venture out' as it was so graciously put.

The three continued their small talk, though Travis was more focused on the sandwiches than anything. The moment was eventually broken as he let out a fairly loud yawn.

"Tired?"

"Yeah."

"Wanna take a quick shower before napping."

"Could I?"

Gamzee turned to Kanaya. "That okay, sis?"

"There's no need to ask."

The trio headed to the bathroom Gamzee had shown Travis earlier. He ran off to his own room (somewhere on the other end of the house, upstairs) to grab some shampoo and soap he could use.

With only a bit of help, Travis had managed to shower on his own. Gamzee and Kanaya had both offered to stay in the bathroom until he was done, but in the end they waited outside the door. Kanaya came in only when Travis asked for a towel from behind the curtain. He also needed assistance when lifted into his wheelchair after changing. Gamzee came in for that part, also pulling up Travis's jeans again.

Gamzee lingered in the bathroom afterwards, setting several labeled plastic containers on the counter. Travis watched. Gamzee handed him a cup from the Dixie cup dispenser he couldn't reach and some capsules.

"What's this?"

"Doc gave me some pills and shit in case you're not up and feeling well. He said you have to take these though."

Travis recognized the bitter anti-swelling pills and the fat antibiotics. He took them without much hesitation.

"Any painkillers, bro?"

"No, thank you. I'm good." Travis looked some more. "What are the others for."

"A couple more painkillers. One's to help with the nausea. Anti-swelling. Antibiotics. And there's some creams for after your legs heal up a bit more. I think they help to prevent scarring or something. I dunno. Kanaya would. She was definitely paying more attention when we went to see the doc about it."

"Where is she?"

He pointed towards the door. "Probably outside, or in the kitchen. Shall we head out."

"S-sure."

When Gamzee wheeled Travis out Kanaya was nowhere to be seen. So she had returned to the kitchen after all. They headed down that way. Travis noted that it was starting to get dark out.

When the got back to the living room, they found their companion half-sitting half-standing on one of the bar stools. She was on the phone.

"No…no, not at all. It's fine. I was about to excuse myself."

Kanaya looked up, holding up a finger as if to say 'hold on.' Gamzee just nodded. She smiled and returned to the conversation.

"Yes? Sorry about that." A pause. "I understand. I'll see you in about twenty minutes." Saying a quick goodbye Kanaya hung up.

"Who was that?" Gamzee asked.

"My mother. I'm afraid I should get going. She said has some business she would like to attend to this evening, and I would like to see her off."

"Another dinner party?"

"Yes."

She got up from the stool, nodding. "I'll see you on Saturday, Travis."

"Y-yeah. Thanks Kanaya."

She smiled and gave them both a small wave before leaving. Gamzee closed the door behind her and locked in the security code. He then gave his full attention to Travis.

"Anything else you needed? Or you wanna do something?"

"I'm still a bit tired," Travis admitted. "It's been a while since I've done much of anything."

Gamzee nodded. "I get that. Then I'll head off to bed myself."

"Bed before six?"

"Never hurt a motherfucker to up and get his sleep on."

Travis chuckled a bit, despite himself. "If you say so."

He allowed Gamzee to take him back to his new room. As he got into bed, the other went to the dresser and pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a long-sleeved thermal top.

"Will these work for pj's?"

"Yeah."

Gamzee tossed them over. "Need help?"

"I think I can manage that much."

"Awesome. Then I guess I'll up and see you tomorrow, Tavbro!"

"Um..."

"Is something wrong?" Gamzee asked, as he turned from the door.

"Um, why do you keep calling me that."

"What, Tavbro?"

Travis nodded.

"I call all my bros bro. Why? Do you not like it?"

Noting the other's slightly devastated look, Travis quickly said, "No no, I like it. I'm just...not used to it, I guess."

"Ya sure?"

He nodded.

"Alright. Night!"

With that Gamzee left. Travis sighed as he yanked off his jeans and shirt, getting into the new—and very soft—pajamas. He curled up into the blankets and practically sank into the mattress.

It took several minutes to fall asleep, despite how tired he was. Travis lay there, staring at the blank ceiling, musing over the events over the last few days. It all moved so very fast. He'd thought this so many times already, yet Travis couldn't help but think of it once again.

Had he made the right decision, trusting these people? He hoped so. It didn't feel wrong, and if Gamzee's father had been able to have enough influence to have him released (not to mention enough money to pay for everything) then surely this was a good idea.

Hopefully.

Too tired to think more, Travis finally allowed sleep to take him.

* * *

Travis didn't realize how tired he was until we woke up a little past noon. Disoriented and slightly confused, he tried to stand. Which was impossible.

In shock, he fell out of bed and pretty hard on his side. Groaning, Travis hauled himself up into the wheelchair, finally remembering where he was. This wasn't the hospital. This was his new room. At Gamzee's house. Right…

He went to the drawers and began rifling through his clothes until he produced something that looked decently warm: a knit sweater and jeans. Travis went back to the bed, pulling out a fresh pair of compression from the box under the bed. He went about getting dressed, much faster than the last few times.

Travis was about to leave when he realized he'd forgotten to stretch last evening. He went through the motions mechanically, another fifteen minutes passing before he deemed himself ready to go.

Getting through the door and down the hallway was another struggle entirely. Travis wasn't used to pushing himself around quite yet, and it was quite exhausting. When he finally made it through the plush carpet his wheelchair practically flew over the hardwood of the kitchen, shocking Travis beyond relief and causing him to slam into the refrigerator.

Dammit.

The loud noise seemed to have alerted someone because a few seconds later he heard footsteps. Two heads popped around the corner, one grinning and one scowling. Travis recognized them immediately.

"I thought Gamzee said you were only a bit tired!"

"Um, good morning, Karkat."

"Jesus, you do realize it's in the afternoon, right?"

"Hey Tavbro!" the other called with a wave.

Travis smiled. "Hi Gamzee."

Gamzee bounded over to where he was. "Here, lemme get'cha up and outta this situation. Hungry?"

"A bit," he replied as the other pushed him towards the living room.

"I'll heat up some spaghetti," grumbled Karkat, making his way to the microwave.

"Sleep well?" Gamzee asked, diverting Travis's gaze from Karkat digging through the fridge.

"I did, thank you."

"Aw, no reason to be so polite. You're part of the family now! Gotta get up and comfy talkin' to all of us like equals."

He just swallowed tightly and nodded a bit.

They were now in the living room. Gamzee parked the wheelchair next to the couch, allowing Travis to pull himself out of it and onto the plush cushions. The pristine white of the room contrasted with all the black and indigo Gamzee had on. Even Travis felt like a too-colorful splash in the room. The other teen seemed to have no problem with it, lounging on the opposite armchair with a grin on his face.

"Any wicked dreams last night, bro?"

"None."

"Pity. Dreams are pretty awesome!"

Travis shifted slightly. "Did you have any dreams, Gamzee?"

"Me? Naw. Sometimes I do, but they aren't anything magical. Not like before."

"Before?"

Karkat came back into the room holding a steaming Tupperware container and a fork, as well as a glass of water. "Spaghetti?"

"Thank you."

Travis took the food and began to eat. It was a simple dish, mostly plain with some tomato sauce and basil, and a hint of another herb. Sage, perhaps? He wasn't sure.

There was silence as Karkat took a seat on the far side of the couch, sighing as he kicked his feet up onto the coffee table.

"Isn't this food sorta bland for someone to be eating."

Travis shook his head, swallowing. "No, why?"

Karkat shrugged. "It's just that you got out of the hospital, and all your eating is plain pasta with some tomatoes on it. I'd be pretty fucking miserable if that was all I got to eat after the whole ordeal."

"I don't mind..." 

"Besides, it's Christmas Eve!" Gamzee exclaimed. "That calls for some grand food!"

"And your birthday."

He put a hand over his heart. "And my birthday."

"It's your birthday?" Travis asked.

"Fuck yeah, Tavbro. Well, it will be tomorrow."

"I'm sorry," he said.

Gamzee looked genuinely confused. "What for, bro?"

Karkat snorted. "It's because it's Christmas. Most people don't like having Christmas birthdays because it means you get skimped out of all your fucking presents and stuff."

"Really? I love it! Makes me feel like a miracle in myself, with all the fuckin' cheer going around. Like those season's tidings and shit!"

"Yeah yeah, spare us your miracles rant!" Karkat turned back to Travis. "Well, we're going to head off soonish. We're just waiting for Gamzee's dad to get back from DC."

"He's coming?" Travis squeaked.

"Um, yeah? It's the holidays, duh. Everyone's got off right now. Anyway, his flight landed about two hours ago so he'll be back any minute now."

As if on cue there was a sound from outside. Travis jumped a bit.

"Don't sweat it," Karkat said. "That's just the gate opening."

Soon after the sound of tires crunching on the driveway, followed by that of the garage door. Travis suddenly felt nervous. What kind of person could Gamzee's dad be? Was he kind? Scary? Overbearing? He barely had time to fret as the sound of a door opening met him.

Several footsteps, getting louder, Travis shaking like a leaf. Gamzee noticed and gripped one of his hands.

"All's good," he leaned in and murmured. "Okay?"

Travis couldn't seem to make a sound. He nodded and stared at the entrance to the hallway. The footsteps stopped, presumably at a closet. Travis opted to gaze down at his hands.

"Hey Dad!"

Travis looked up as a new figure entered the room.

The first thing that struck Travis was how this man didn't really resemble Gamzee. He was average hight, nowhere near as tall as his son. He had short dark hair that was fashionably combed, dark brown eyes, and was of a portly build. There was a hint in the nose, but that was about it. Perhaps Gamzee took after his mother?

The man sighed, rubbing his neck while taking off his suit jacket and loosening his tie. "Hello Gamzee. And Karkat, I see. Have you two been well?"

"Yep!"

Travis was surprised that he called the two boys by their nicknames.

The man's eyes the found their way to Travis. They blinked, his tired face slowly morphed into a smile that was the same crooked one Gamzee wore all the time.

"Why hello there! I'm afraid we've never met, am I right?"

"Yes!" Travis squeaked. "I-I mean, no? No, we've never met."

"Oh my, where are my manners? Robert Makara," he said, extending a hand.

Travis took it. "Travis Martinez. Nice to meet you, sir." He barely spoke above a whisper.

The man smiled warmly. "So this is the person we've taken in! Wasn't sure if you were a new friend or not! I'll admit, I was really shocked to get that phone call from Gamzee. He rarely stays in contact when I'm out of town."

"Oh, okay." He really had no idea how to act.

"I figure Gamzee told you I'm usually not in town."

"He mentioned you do a lot of business in DC. That's about it."

"Do you want something to drink, pops?" Gamzee cut in.

"No, I'm good, thanks. I was just about to head up to my room and sit down for a bit."

"Okay."

"So Travis," Karkat said. "As I was about to say earlier, Gamzee and I were wondering if you wanted to go out for a bit. Not exactly the ideal day, considering the weather's sh--crap."

Mr. Makara nodded. "Thank you from refraining to curse, Karkat."

The grumpy teen scowled.

Gamzee said, "We're going to a motherfuckin' party tonight, to celebrate my becoming seventeen. You wanna come and meet everyone, Tavbro."

"Um…"

"Gamzee, language."

"Sorry Pops."

"You don't have to," Karkat cut in. "If you're uncomfortable, then stay here. It's just that you'll be alone."

"Is it okay that I not go?" he asked. "I'm still not used to, I guess, all of this."

"This whole situation is pretty new for you, isn't it?"

"I'll adjust, I guess."

Karkat nodded sympathetically. "You still wanna go, Gamzee?"

"Yeah. Though let's try to get back a bit early."

"Like, midnight?"

"Sounds good! Later Tavbro, Dad!"

"Have fun boys! And remember, one mistake now can ruin you forever."

As they left, Mr. Makara sighed and sat down on the couch beside Travis.

"Well, I'm sorry they left you alone here," Mr. Makara said after a while.

"Please, don't be!"

"He's always been a bit spontaneous."

Somehow Travis wasn't surprised.

The man cleared his throat. "I'm not sure what Gamzee told you about me—"

"Really nothing," Travis interjected.

"Well, it's really just me, himself, his friends, and a few housekeepers in the house. I'll apologize in advance if anything seems a bit odd to you. Our family is full of people who never seem to be around, no matter how much we try."

"N-no! I'm used to being alone. It's not a big deal." Then Travis cleared his throat. "No mom?"

"No mother here. She's in Italy right now, visiting family for the holidays. She'll be back when I leave."

"When is that?"

"A bit after New Year." Mr. Makara nodded and stood up. "If there's anything you need, just let me know. I'm about to head up and rest."

Travis was about to shake his head, when a thought came to mind.

"Actually, can I make a phone call?"

* * *

Sitting in the hallway clutching the phone to his ear, Travis began to wonder if he was doing the right thing. There was a reason he left, after all. Still, Travis couldn't help but feel the guilt of the last few months eating away at him. Just one more time. He just had to hear their voices one last time. 

The other line began to ring. Travis found himself clinging to the receiver with both hands as though it was a lifeline. Twice. Three times. Four. Five. He was about to hang up due to sheer terror when someone picked up.

"Hello?"

He recognized that voice; the youngest of his older brothers (a high school senior). Heart pounding in his throat, he managed to croak out, "Miguel?"

There was silence on the other end. Then, a breathless reply.

"Travis?"

"Hi. Long time no see. Well, um, speak."

 _"Is that really you?"_ His brother had switched easily into Spanish. _"Is this fake? Am I going crazy?"_

_"No, Miguel, it's actually me."_

Then there was the sound of crying. Relief. It made a lump develop in Travis's throat.

"I though you were dead," Miguel said.

"I almost did," he replied honestly. "Die, that is."

Then, his brother's usually playful voice because hard-edged with seriousness. "Travis, tell me, where are you? Are you alright?"

"I…I'm up north, in Oregon."

"Oregon?"

"I took some busses, then hitchhiked to Portland when I ran out of money," he admitted. "After that, I was on the streets."

"You said you almost died."

He didn't want to say it. Travis stared down at where his legs were, at where they ended. He had to say it. It was only fair.

"Travis?"

 _"My legs…"_  He fought a gasp. _"My legs...they're gone from just above the knees."_

He heard his brother suck in his breath harshly. _"What?"_

"It was an emergency operation. The doctors said I'm lucky to be alive."

"How did you pay for it? You know we have no insurance."

"I know, I know! I was, found, by a group of people about my age. They took me to the emergency room, and I woke up in a hospital bed." Just in case someone heard his voice, Travis began speaking a bit softer. _"It happened to be that one of them is really rich and, uh, his family payed for everything."_

_"How could you allow this? Are you sure these are people you can trust. Travis, please tell me you're not getting involved in anything illegal!"_

_"What? No! Nothing like that! I promise."_

He could almost hear Miguel's smile. "I know. You were always the best of us."

"Thank you." It was the first time he smiled like this, so sad and so in pain.

 _"Where in Oregon are you?"_ The question interrupted his thoughts.

 _"Somewhere east of Portland. A really small town. I forget the name."_ Travis wasn't good at lying because his blotchy skin always gave him away, but Miguel couldn't see it. _"I'm at his place right now."_

_"The one who payed for everything?"_

_"Yes."_ He cleared his throat. _"Is Mama there?"_

_"She's at work. She won't be back for a while."_

_"Oh, okay…"_ Travis really wanted to talk to her more than anyone. That, and... "Any word from Rufio?"

"No."

Somehow that was expected. "Is anyone else home?"

"Our sisters. All three of them. I could call them over. They will want to talk to you."

"No. I'll just call another time."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Travis said, "I'm sure."

Suddenly, he heard another voice in the background on the other end. A voice that made him freeze slightly.

_"Miguel. Who is that on the phone?"_

_"Shit,"_ Miguel muttered. "He wasn't supposed to be home for another hour!"

Travis suddenly whisper-screamed, "Miguel, please, don't give him the phone. I don't want to talk to him. Not today."

 _"It's no one,"_ the other replied to the one questioning him.

_"Let me speak to this 'no one.' Give me the phone."_

"Please..."

Miguel hesitated. Then:

"I'm sorry, little brother. I have to go."

"Miguel!" But the older Martinez was gone. And a new person was on the line.

"Who is this?" the man asked with a strong Spanish accent. "What business do you have with my family?"

Travis swallowed.

"Hello? I asked who this is!"

_"Feliz navidad, Papa."_

This time, the silence was deadly. Tense, not questioning. Travis was the one to break it.

_"Papa? It's me, Travis."_

_"I know who it is."_ A pause.  _"Where are you?"_

_"I just told Miguel."_

He could practically see the shock on the man's face. Travis rarely talked back. Perhaps the events of the last week was starting to make him tougher.

Mr. Martinez sighed heavily.  _"So you aren't coming home?"_

_"No."_

_"I guess it's for the better. After all the grief you've caused us. Do you know how your mother prays for you."_

_"Papa..."_

_"She prays that you'll understand that you're sinning. You must stop this immediately and come home."_

Travis felt a flash of anger, something rare for him. In fact, it was unheard of.  _"I can't change who I am. No amount of praying can do that."_

_"You're saying this is because you're scared."_

_"I was born this way!"_

_"No, you weren't. That's impossible. How could you be? Do you think your mother gave birth to someone like **you**?"_

He spat the last syllable. Travis blanched.

_"Do this for your mother's sake!"_

_"If I could I would! But I can't!"_

_"Please, Travis, listen to reason. You can choose."_

_"No..."_ he whispered, tears prickling at the edge of his eyes.  _"No, you don't understand."_

_"What?!"_

_"I can't. I wish I could, Papa I do...but....but....."_

He could hear more voices, probably drawn over from the yelling. Murmurs and questions, yet no answers to be given. Travis bit his lip. He refused to be weak, to cry in front of this man, for him to hear. He was supposed to be tough and manly. Men didn't cry like he did.

_"Travis."_

_"Yes?"_

_"I think it would be best you not call us again."_

_"What?"_

His father's voice was impossibly monotone.  _"Stay away from us. We are not your family anymore."_

Travis couldn't help it; he begged. _"Papa, please-"_

 _"Do not call us again."_ His voice was cold, colder than anything Travis had ever hear him say. _"Do you understand? You are no son of mine."_

He blanched, unable to say anything in return. He stayed there, frozen, well until the dial tone started. Travis finally put the phone down. He wasn't sure what to do. After a long moment, he made his way back to his room. It seemed to take hours just to get to the door.

A small part of him had hoped despite everything his father would understand. Would forgive him for something he really had no control over.

Closing the door behind him (albeit with a bit of difficulty), Travis wheeled himself over to the edge of his bed. He clambered in and lay there, vision swimming. He whimpered and buried his face into the pillows, inhaling deeply.

They didn't smell like home.

The floodgates opened without any control. A sob found it's way from his lips, then another, and another. Travis could feel the hot rivers coursing down his face.

_Don't cry. Be strong. Just fly. Don't cry. Be strong. Just fly._

The words his older brother would always say ran through his head like a mantra. But how could he be strong? He couldn't feel anything but his breaking heart.

"B-be strong…" Travis murmured into the pillow.

He didn't move, and no one was there to notice until sleep carried him away from his misery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long to write this. ~~Life sorta caught up with me and served my ass.~~
> 
> One thing I want to point out is that Gamzee's dad isn't Kurloz or the Grand Highblood. Obviously. His parents are OCs because I decided that.
> 
> Also obvious, I'm a quite behind in my original timeline seeing that this is happening on Christmas Eve which was over two months ago.
> 
> Until next time, french fries~
> 
> \--pp


	5. Starting Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hard is trying to rebuild yourself, piece by piece, with no instruction book, and no clue as to where all the important bits are supposed to go.”  
> ― Nick Hornby, A Long Way Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually wrote this chapter before Chapter 4, so that's why this is up the same day. Hope it was worth the wait.

  _Do not call us again. You are no son of mine._

The words were still ringing in Travis's ears as he lay on his bed, isolated in his own little world. He knew it was coming, just knew it, but it still hurt like a knife carving through his heart.

Rejection.

He'd been rejected. An outcast. Thrown away. And there was nothing in the world Travis could do about it.

Somewhere behind the heavy curtains covering the window he could hear some precipitation pounding against the trees. It made an eerie sound, but he had no heart to care much more than shiver slightly. The large room was too dark and too empty.

Travis lost track of time, having turned the clock on the bedside table away from him. He just lay there until someone came along. There was a knock on his door. Travis turned as Gamzee's wild hair popped around the corner.

"What is up, my mothafuckin' roommate?" he practically sing-songed.

Travis didn't react much but look back at his ceiling and shrug.

"You okay, bro?" When he didn't get a reply, Gamzee opened the door slightly wider and wedged his shoulders through. "Can I come in."

Again, no reply.

"Well, I'm up and entering, okay bro?"

Travis closed his eyes and listened as Gamzee padded across the floor and yanked the curtains open. He squeezed his eyes shut at the sudden brightness.

Gamzee took a seat in front of him on the couch. Travis opened his eyes and rolled over so he could look directly at the older teen. Gamzee was slouched forward so his elbows were propping him up on his knees. His hair was flatter and stuck to his neck. So he'd taken a shower. There were some stray locks clinging to the thin material of his white t-shirt, soaking through it and exposing some of his taunt muscles. Travis pulled his gaze away from Gamzee's neck up to his eyes. They were full of concern.

"You didn't come out for breakfast. Or lunch." He pointed to a large tray next to him on the couch. "I brought you something, in case you were up to-"

"I'm not hungry."

"You sure? You didn't eat much yesterday either."

"I'm fine."

Even his own voice sounded cold to him. Gamzee frowned.

"Seriously, I'm concerned. You're normally way more upbeat."

"You hardly know me," Travis reminded.

Gamzee shrugged. "This motherfucker knows how other people are. Even if he barely knows them."

Still no reply.

"So what's goin' though that pan of yours?"

"I don't want to talk about it," said Travis. He was now staring impassively at the ceiling. "Besides, what do you mean by pan?"

"Think pan."

So his brain? Gamzee really was strange. Travis nodded, but didn't turn his gaze away.

Gamzee scratched the back of his head before getting up and sitting at the foot of Travis's bed.

"You know," he started, "I'm not that great around people. Motherfuckers think I up and talk too much. Think I babble about things too. But Karkat tells me the reason we're best buds is because I can up and listen to a motherfucker's problems without judging. I've only ever done that with him, but I'm willin' to offer you an ear too, 'cuz I feel like you need someone."

When he still didn't get an answer, Gamzee flopped onto his back and stared at the ceiling as well. "I ain't leavin' until I get some answers, bro."

Travis sighed. Looks like there was no way out of it. "Um, well, I called my family yesterday."

Gamzee's head turned to look over at Travis. "How'd that go."

"Well, my brother answered. One of them, anyway. He seemed really relieved. Anyway, he said that it was me, and my dad came on right away. I was hoping it would be my mom. He basically said that I wasn't his son anymore and shouldn't come back."

"Dude, that's harsh."

"It's okay. I didn't expect any less of him."

"Do you mind me asking why a motherfuckin' awesome bro like yourself would run away from home? You always seem pretty happy whenever you up and talk about your family."

Travis wasn't sure how to start. He propped himself up on the pillows carefully, hugging one to his chest. "Well, uh…I come from a Catholic family. They're pretty conservative, in some ways. And, I ah, well…"

"You up and came out the motherfuckin' closet?"

"How…?"

Gamzee laughed. "Shot in the dark. Call it a miracle or what have you. Makes sense, though. I've heard of all sorts of motherfuckers who up and leave because of shit like that. Was it that bad at home?"

"It wasn't unbearable, but I couldn't take it anymore, so…"

"Was it bad at school?"

"Sometimes. People bullied me for other things, like being small and Hispanic and poor. This was just another thing to add to the list."

"Any friends to help a bitchtits wicked motherfucker out of the gutter?"

Travis shook his head.

"I think," he said after a moment, "it was just the combination of everything that made me leave. I didn't have anyone except my oldest brother, and I haven't heard from him since middle school, so…yeah…"

Surprisingly, the other teen seemed pretty upset. "I don't get how people do that. How we can all up and hurt other motherfuckers without thinking. I mean, shit's different for everyone, I get that, but it shouldn't matter about some motherfuckin' silly thing like that."

"It's not so bad!" Travis interjected. "I mean, yeah, I ran away from home and, um, you know, lost my legs…but I'm still pretty happy. I'm not dead, and you're kind to me."

_Even if this is only temporary._

Travis pushed the dark though away. No use thinking about that while he was still recovering.

Gamzee smiled at him. "Thanks, Tavbro. That means a lot when a wicked motherfucker like you up and gives me compliments like that!"

"I-I, ah…um, o-okay?"

Gamzee just laughed as Travis's stuttering, sitting up and reaching for the tray on the couch. He grabbed and cracked open the bottle of soda. It looked like grape? The concoction was purple. As he was taking a long sip, Travis watched. He was getting mixed vibes from Gamzee and wasn't quite sure what to think of it.

Out of curiosity, he cleared his throat and asked, "A-are you…?"

The teen stopped drinking his soda. "Am I what?"

"You know…um, like me?"

"Gay?"

He blushed. "Yeah."

Gamzee regarded the smaller teen with his violet eyes. "Nothing to get up and embarrassed over, bro. Besides, I'm totally cool with talkin' about shit like that."

"Oh, o-okay." Travis visibly relaxed, "So are you…?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe. I don't think too much about it. I might be slightly not straight or some shit like that."

"You might be?"

"I kissed Karkat once. We got a bit drunk at some party and it just happened. He flipped his shit, and I didn't know what had come over me." Gamzee cocked his head to the side as if to say 'whatever.' "We tried to go out for a bit, but it didn't really work out. Completely messed up all the motherfuckin' flows of our friendship. So we just stayed friends and it's all worked out. No more awkwardness."

"So Karkat's gay? Not trying to get into his personal life or anything…" Travis mumbled.

"He's bi, but most people don't know. Our relationship was pretty hush-hush. Only a few of our friends figured it out, and by then we'd already been old news. Now there are all the motherfuckin' rumors going around about him hooking up with one of his old internet friends. I dunno. All pretty confusing shit I try not to get into, if you know what I mean."

"Kinda."

"Oh!" Gamzee exclaimed. "I almost forgot! Merry Christmas, Tavbro!"

Travis stared. He'd altogether forgotten it was Christmas. "Wait, it's Christmas? Oh wait, yeah, I guess it is. Wow…I can't believe I forgot."

Gamzee didn't seem to mind. He just grinned some more and kept talking.

"Anyway, since it's Christmas I though, 'Gee, this wicked new bro sure needs a present!' So I got you this last we went out of town. Sorry it's not much."

Travis looked over at Gamzee as he pulled out a fairly large package Travis hadn't noticed before. By fairly large, the box was bigger than his hands, but not large enough to hide anything stupid like a chair or something.

He gingerly took the wrapped box, shaking it slightly. It wasn't very heavy, so it ruled out a new book.

"What is it?"

"Open it and see for yourself."

Gamzee smile only got wider and wider as Travis carefully peeled back the decorative paper and saw what was beneath. His eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat.

"You got me a 3DS? And Pokémon X?"

"Merry Christmas, Tavbro."

He set aside the present, shifting awkwardly.

"I don't deserve this. Any of this."

Gamzee just shook his head. "Sure you do. I know you do. Don't need to see it yourself, I guess."

"I didn't even get you anything!" he insisted. "Not that I could get you much of anything…"

The other chuckled and leaned over to ruffle Travis's hair. "You don't need to up and worry about getting me shit. Your presence is more than enough."

Gamzee laughed all the louder at the blush blotting Travis's cheeks.

"Oh!" Travis exclaimed, suddenly remembering. "It's your birthday too!"

"Oh yeah. I guess it is. Totally forgot about that."

"You forgot?"

Gamzee shrugged. "Not important."

"Okay then."

"It's pretty late, bro," he said suddenly. "Like, past four."

"Really?" Travis checked the bedside clock. So it was. "Wow, I guess I wasn't paying attention."

His stomach rumbled in agreement.

Gamzee chuckled. "Guess you're startin' to get pretty empty."

"I guess so."

"Gimme a sec."

Travis sat up all the way as Gamzee yanked the loaded tray onto the bed between them, threatening to spill it everywhere (He did exclaim 'HONK' when it didn't, much to Travis's confusion). It was laden with traditional holiday foods: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, mac and cheese, biscuits, and cranberry sauce. Along with two more bottles of Faygo. And half a birthday cake.

How had he not noticed any of this before?

"Um, why did you bring so much?"

"So we can feast in here!" he replied matter-of-factly.

"Not out there?" Travis asked.

Gamzee shook his head. "Nah bro. Got family in town, all up and having a good time in there. Don't wanna spoil the mood with my presence. Besides, you'd be eating alone if I wasn't here for a brother."

"I, guess that makes sense. Though I don't see why you wouldn't want to eat with your family."

"They're all super uptight and professional. We ain't close for a reason, bro. And then if I was out there, you would be in here all alone. Some people are still questioning my dad for taking you in. Wouldn't want you out in the bad vibes they'd be sending your way."

"Oh, okay."

Gamzee took the two bottles, handing one to Travis, before raising his. "To being bros."

"To, um, Christmas?"

There was that happy grin again. "Miracles."

They both took long sips. Travis was surprised to find the soda wasn't as fizzy as he expected and tasted of creme soda. Then again, it was labeled creme soda. Gamzee's was a bright red, so he assumed it was cherry.

They didn't have anything more than utensils, so they shared from the same plates, spilling a gracious amount both on the sheets and their fronts. Gamzee laughed the whole time, and Travis found himself joining in. It was the first time he'd been so open since finding out about himself. Since…really everything.

It was nice to just let it all go.

Gamzee eventually left to get fresh clothes and sheets, taking the now-empty tray with him. Travis lay back down and groaned. It'd been a while since he'd eaten way too much as well.

And then, not ten minutes later, he'd dosed off. But not for long. Gamzee was back, this time dragging with him a TV and an Xbox.

"Wanna play?"

"Play what?"

"Halo." Gamzee nodded, suddenly serious. "Karkat just texted me. He's challenged us to a match against him and his friend John, my Windy Bro."

"'Windy Bro?'"

"We used to play this MMORPG game together called Sburb, but it was just the beta. He was a wind player, so I started callin' him 'Windy Bro' after that. He don't mind at all."

"Oh, okay then. Is this the John guy from Seattle?"

"The very same."

"I guess I'll play…it's been a while, though. I'm probably super rusty."

"Really?"

"Um, yeah." Wow, anything could get this guy happy.

Gamzee was smiling like there was no tomorrow. "That's awesome, Tavbro! I can't play worth shit, but we'll just go on with it."

It took several minutes to hook everything up comfortably, the two of them shifting around to avoid the soiled sheets. Another minute and they were connecting.

"Are they any good?" Travis asked after a moment.

"Who, Karkat and John?"

He nodded.

"Well, Karbro ain't all that amazing, but John's the shit at these games. Not the type you'd think was into this sorta thing, but he's crazy good."

Gamzee's eyebrows raised at the sudden shift in Travis's expression.

"Okay," the Hispanic said flatly, voice hardly wavering. "Do we have headsets?"

"Yeah, here."

There were two battered white ones, one covered in purple Sharpie swirls, the other in gray zigzags. Gamzee handed the latter to Travis. He wordlessly put them on and adjusted the microphone to where he could speak comfortably.

There was a sort of tight-lipped determination hovering around him, one that rarely showed itself. Travis barely noticed, watching as the connection blinked successful. Almost as soon as the area loaded, the voices came crackling through the headset. The first, angry one was very familiar.

_"Are you two online yet? We've been waiting ages!"_

_"Aw, don't be like that Karkat,"_ a new voice cut in. _"It wasn't that long."_

_"Ten minutes, John. Ten fucking minutes we could've been kicking ass!"_

"We're in, Karbro," Gamzee chuckled, tapping Travis's mic to make sure it was working. "Looks like these old headsets held up since middle school after all."

Karkat hesitated. His reply was one full of incredulous wonder. _"You're still using those pieces of shit? Damn, I thought you'd replace them by now!"_

"Good memories, bro. Can't just up and junk 'em."

_"If you say so."_

_"I think that's cool,"_ said the new voice. John. _"So is the new guy there?"_

Gamzee nudged his shoulder, so Travis blurted out, "Yeah! Um, hi?"

_"Hey there! Travis, was it?"_

He nodded, then quickly said, "Mmmhmm."

_"Cool! I'm John, Karkat's palhoncho."_

_"I thought we vowed to never utter that word again, asshat."_

_"Aw, why not~ 'Palhoncho' is our special thing!"_

_"Whatever."_

_"Just say it once! C'mon, please~"_

_"No. Shut up. Dumbass."_

_"Eheheh, are you being shy?"_

_"What?! WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU EVEN SUGGEST THAT?!?! THE FUCK ARE YOU INSINUATING?!"_

Travis and Gamzee laughed as Karkat went at John with verbal attacks, though they both had sharp pains in their ears from the change in volume, followed by the crackle of the poor reception.

"Careful bro, or you'll be too distracted to up and notice me and Tavbro here culling your ass."

_"Shut up!"_

The game started soon after, a 2v2 sort of deal. It didn't take long for Karkat to get destroyed, followed by shouting swears.

_"Karkat, did you just blow yourself up?"_

_"Shut up! That was an accident!"_

Gamzee chuckled, mashing the controller. "Ya sure about that."

_"Zip it, clown boy. Just wait until I revive and--SHIT!!"_

He'd died again, though this time it was by the hand on Travis. Gamzee glanced over at his teammate. Travis hadn't said a single word since they started a minute ago, eyes trained on the screen.

"Gamzee," he said finally.

"Yeah?"

"Watch your right."

"Wait, what? What's all up on the ri--"

And then a well-placed shot from John took him out. "Oh shit."

"Yep."

What followed was a long and highly skilled battle between John and Travis. Both managed to circle around one another to a building, where John took to higher ground with a huge advantage.

Travis had his tongue between his teeth, frowning slightly as he reloaded. He was on the lower floors of the building, where he was covered, but going up the stairs was the dangerous part.

 _"Your move,"_ John said.

Travis didn't reply, instead circling towards the area with a lack of cover. He knew John would probably have a sniper aimed on him. But it was probably only one or two shots. All he needed was something sudden to divert John's attention for a bit. He flipped through his inventory. No, no no, nope, definitely not, wait…hang on…

That would do it.

Travis tossed out a grenade. It rolled and clattered, sitting just out of range. Any moment now…

**BOOM!!**

_"Woah, what?!"_

The explosion was the distraction he needed to get up and to the next safe point. Just two more levels now. The second was completely safe. Travis hopped up the ladder without a hitch in his step. He switched to a rapid-fire gun and approached the next checkpoint, weapon faced skyward. He just needed to distract John enough to get a clean shot.

Shots were fired. Travis ducked and rolled. So John was nearby.

He approached with caution. The third level was breached. There was little cover here. Travis ducked behind a crate, thinking. He just needed to get closer for accuracy. Maybe one or two moves and it could be done.

He ran, barely making it to one wall. Then the second. Just one more to go. He was going to make it. Even Gamzee and Karkat could sense it. Then:

"Shit!" The game pulled Travis back to the charging area, short of one life. So he'd missed the dodge. He sighed, finally relaxing. "Almost had him too."

Gamzee returned the smile. "And you said you were rusty."

"It's been a while."

_"Phew! THAT was close!"_

_"That was…actually really good."_ Karkat sounded thoroughly impressed. _"Haven't seen anyone pull off something like that since John and Vriska decided to face off. Now that was intense."_

_"Hell yeah it was! I like Vriska. She's tough and doesn't take nonsense from anyone."_

_"Trust me when I say you'd think very differently of that OCD psychopath if you knew her in real life."_

_"Eheheh, if you say so."_

"C'mon, let's up and get our game on."

_"Oh, you're own!"_

* * *

It was around 9pm when Mr. Makara decided to check on Gamzee and Travis. He hadn't seen either of them, what with the Christmas dinner and all. All the relatives had forgotten about Gamzee's existence and barely noticed when he sneaked in and past all of them for a grand total of four times.

He opened the door after knocking, surprised by the darkness.

"You boys okay?"

"Sure are."

"Yes, thank you."

Mr. Makara couldn't help but laugh a bit at the setup. The two were hanging off the bed upside-down, staring at the TV which had been turned to accommodate for their strange position.

"How long have you been like that."

Gamzee glanced over at the clock. "About an hour."

Travis laughed once. "Ha. Got him!"

Both had headsets on, wincing in unison.

"Is that Karkat online?"

"Yep. With John."

A very loud _'HI MR. MAKARA!'_ cracked through the headphones.

"Are they always this loud?" Travis asked.

"Naw, sometimes it's worse."

_"I HEARD THAT, FUCKASSES!"_

The guardian laughed again. "Well, just wanted to let you know that everyone's left and there's some leftover pies if you want them."

"Naw, we're cool. Thanks though."

"Of course. I'll leave you to it, then."

"Wait," Gamzee called. "When're you leaving next?"

"After New Year. On the 3rd."

"'Kay. 'Night."

"Goodnight boys."

"Goodnight, Mr. Makara."

The door shut and the two boys finally sat up, groaning as blood rushed out of their heads.

After a long and dizzying moment Travis said, "That was a pretty bad idea."

Gamzee nodded. "Thought it'd work out a bit better."

 _"You two are idiots,"_ Karkat muttered. _"Well, if you two are calling quits, I guess that means John and I win."_

 _"Yeah!"_ The second voice said. _"Air-five!"_

_"Yeah yeah, whatever."_

John laughed goodnaturedly.

"I'll see ya tomorrow, Karbro," Gamzee said. "Nice talkin' to you after so long, Windy Bro!"

_"Sure thing, Gamzee. We should totally do this again sometime. Except next time, I'm calling Dave to join. And Jade. Then we can do 4v4!"_

"If you say so! Then we'll recruit Vriska to go against you."

John laughed. _"Yeah! Now that would be a match for the ages!"_ A pause. _"Okay. … Got it. Sorry guys, Dad's calling me. Gotta fly. Good to hear from everyone. And it was nice meeting you, Travis."_

Travis smiled. "Yeah. Bye guys."

_"And Karkat. Stay in touch. I miss talking to you."_

_"Whatever."_ But it didn't seem as angry as other times.

After more goodbyes Gamzee shut off the game console and and TV. "That was a bitchtits wicked time we had."

"I had a lot of fun."

"Same here, brother."

Travis reached over to the half full bottle of Raspberry Blueberry Faygo, taking a long gulp. God, he was thirsty. It'd been a long time since he'd gamed so seriously. Not since middle school, surely.

"So I was thinking," Gamzee cut in, "we need to up and get you some soaps and stuff. Normal things."

Travis set down his drink. "I thought I would do that after the holidays."

"How about tomorrow?"

"Oh. Um, sure?"

"We don't have to," said the older quickly, noting the other's sudden lack of comfort.

Travis just nodded slowly. "Sorry."

"No reason to apologize. Shit's tough."

"Right."

"Hey! Why don't we just stay in and have pasta or something? I've been meaning to make some sauce since we got tomatoes the other day!"

Travis smiled, and it made Gamzee smile back all the more. "I'd really like that, actually."

"Awesome! Then it's set!"

He helped Travis out of the clothes, since he'd worn them for two days now, and handed him his pajamas (a thermal long-sleeve with green flannel bottoms) and clean underwear. Gamzee averted his gaze. There was a quick rustle of clothes being shed and put on again.

"You can turn around now."

Travis was staring down at himself. Gamzee frowned. "Something wrong, Tavbro."

"It's funny. Today, I was so distracted, and I just…kinda forgot…"

He gestured down. There was no need for more explanation.

Gamzee didn't say anything. He just sat down beside Travis and pulled him into a sideways hug. It shocked the younger slightly and he flinched, but Gamzee didn't loosen his grip at all. He just leaned in closer than what was considered normal, murmuring in Travis's ear.

"You're tough, bro. I ain't in no position to say it, but if anyone'll get through this, it's you. I believe that miracle with all my heart. Do you?"

It was weird to think he'd only known Gamzee for a few days. It felt like he just got it. Like Gamzee was meant to be his friend. And Travis truly wanted to believe those words he said.

"I think I'll try," he said.

"That's all I'm asking."

Travis felt his lips turn up slightly. That was good enough, for once. And it felt like it too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is why Travis left home. Now we know. This may be an extreme case, but I know for a fact many homeless teens are there because their families kick them out, or they run away from home first.
> 
> Also, there's a head canon of mine that Tavros is secretly really intense when gaming. It's the one place he's got any confidence (unlike canon Tav). Also, I'm not sure if Halo has 2v2 gameplay.  
> Whatever.
> 
> I love John to pieces, so he had to make an appearance too!
> 
> Feedback is always appreciated.
> 
> Until next time!
> 
> \--pp


	6. Shopping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I always say shopping is cheaper than a psychiatrist.  
> \--Tammy Faye Bakker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I hadn't planned on writing this chapter originally, but then the idea was niggling me after I had a dream about it and I decided to write and post this. Hence why updating took a while. The next one will be much more detailed, I promise.

Somehow that Saturday Travis found himself back in the passenger seat of Kanaya's Prius with two other females sitting in the backseat. One was tanned, with long black hair, wearing an array of pastel colors. The other was blonde, her hair in a short bob, wearing nothing but black, including her lipstick.

"Oh my glub, is this the guy we found and brought in to the hospital?" the first girl had asked. When her question was given an answer, she turned to Travis. "I didn't even recognize you! You look so much better already! I'm glad!"

She'd gotten out of the car to shake his hand with both of her. "Hi Travis! My name is Feferi. It's so nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you too, Feferi."

The other girl came out. "Hello Travis. I'm Rose. A pleasure."

Travis recognized the name. "Are you the Rose from New York?"

"Yes I am." She smiled wickedly and looked sideways at Kanaya. "I presume that Kanaya told you about me, then?"

"A little bit, yeah."

Rose nodded. "I'm currently off from school and my mom said it was okay for me to come over and visit. It has been a long time since Kanaya and I have had any conversation not dictated through text and Internet."

"Yeah. That is true."

"Shell we go?" Feferi asked, still holding Travis's hand.

Kanaya nodded. "Yes, let's. Travis, would you like to sit in the passenger seat again?"

Rose looked mildly shocked. Her tone, however, was very sarcastic. "Not letting me sit next to you now? Am I being friend zoned?"

The other girl played right along. "Friend zoned? Perhaps. If you really didn't want it to come down to this you shouldn't have come. I said you could stay in the apartment, if you preferred."

"It was no trouble. Besides, I like to see you in this motherly role. I wanted to meet the lucky boy who you had to rescue."

Kanaya blushed a bit. "Me, motherly? You make me sound beyond my years, my dear."

"You know we're both mature young women here. Much more than other around our age, for sure."

"With that I cannot argue."

"And neither can I," Rose replied with a small smile.

Feferi practically squealed, cutting the two off mid-banter. Travis just looked on, unsure what to do. Kanaya blushed, while Rose giggled a bit.

"Come," she said. "We should probably go before it gets too late."

"Right."

"So, where exactly are we going?" Travis asked.

"Just downtown. It's a bit dull in all actuality," Feferi said. "But it doesn't matter because it's your first time in Alternia, and that's so exciting!"

They all finally got into the car. Most of the car ride consisted of Feferi barraging Travis with questions about himself. Most of it was a repeat of what he'd told Kanaya, Karkat, and Gamzee the first time he'd been in the Prius. Travis barely had a chance to breathe when Kanaya finally cut Feferi off.

"We're here."

"Already! Wow, time sure swims by when you're excited!"

"Um, right."

Once Travis was helped out of the car, he took a few moments to look around. They were parked on the side of a street lined with stone and brick buildings. It looked a bit like the stereotypical small towns he'd seen on TV, but somehow more quaint. There were coffee shops, book stores, a local grocer, a psychic and herb seller, several boutiques and thrift shops, a salon, and what appeared to be a gazebo. Everything was covered in a soft layer of frost.

"Welcome to downtown," Kanaya said as she locked up. "I know it's not much, but it's home."

"Well, I for one like it," said Rose.

"Really?"

"Yes, and I can see why this would please you greatly. You always had a distasteful attitude towards big chains. Besides, I am a strong supporter of local businesses. Shall we go? I would like to do some personal shopping as well."

Kanaya nodded. "That sounds good. Ready to go, Travis."

"Yeah."

"Feferi?"

"Actually, there were a few things I needed to pick up, and an errand for my sister, so I'll meet you guys in about two hours or so!"

"Of course. See you then."

"Sorry!" Feferi waved and ran off in the other direction, her plum-purple jacket accented against the gray of the street.

"Anything special she's getting?" asked Travis.

"I think some things for Eridan," Kanaya replied. The trio began to head towards one of the storefronts. "Before you ask, he's a mutual friend of ours. A swimmer and a cellist. He swims with Feferi and play in the orchestra with me."

"I was the one who got Kanaya into classical music," Rose said.

"That is true. Her mother lent me the money to begin viola lessons."

They entered, a small bell ringing to alert the owners of their arrival.

"I'll be over there," Rose said, pointing to the corner with some darker colors.

Kanaya sighed. "I still think warm colors would look good on you," but she was promptly ignored.

She shook her head slightly before focusing back on Travis. "I guess I'll just have to find you some good clothing first to convince her that my taste is actually good."

Travis laughed a little. "So, um, what do you suggest?"

She gave him a once-over. "Well, the black your wearing is very slimming. But you are very thin. Perhaps a nice blue? Maybe some variations in earthy tones too. I won't choose everything, of course, since this is for you."

"I trust your judgement." He didn't want to admit he'd never had much choice in anything, especially clothing.

"Excellent. Shall we take a look around?"

With her sharp eye Kanaya found Travis two warm cardigans and a plain black turtleneck. One of the cardigans was much too big and she was about to put it back, but Travis had liked the soft feel of it. And he felt comfortable with the sleeves going past his hands. Oversized was never a bad thing and he sure wasn't going to pass on a jacket this warm for five dollar.

Rose came out of the dressing room while they were making their purchase. "What do you think of this."

"More black?" Kanaya asked, but she was obviously interested in what Rose came out in. "Isn't that a bit seductive?"

"Why? Because I'm not mature enough to pull it off?"

It was definitely a looker, a low-cut sequin tank top with spaghetti straps. It shimmered when she moved, making her eyes stand out like two glittering jewels.

Kanaya took a moment to compose herself. "If I said that, I'd be lying."

"Great! I'm getting it!"

As she flounced away, Kanaya sighed. "I swear she'll be the death of me."

"She's a very, um, interesting person."

"That she is." Kanaya smiled. "That she is."

Feferi found them during that time, only she had to leave soon after.

"I'm really sorry guys! I was looking forward to spending the day out with my friends, but my mom called and I have to grab some stuff from the next town over. I'll take the bus, but I probably won't be back for another couple of hours."

"Take your time," said Kanaya. "We're in no rush."

In the next store Travis was able to find more undergarments and tank tops, something he was grateful for. There were also several shirts that Rose and Kanaya dropped into his lap, ushering him into the changing area before he'd had a chance to look over them. Most of them were vetoed by one, two, or all three of them pretty quickly.

"How is that one?" Kanaya called on the twenty-third shirt, a fitted white button-up and indigo vest.

Travis opened the door. "I really like this color. It's different."

"I like that one on you," said Rose.

"Really? It's a bit big…"

"You can still buy it," Kanaya said. "I could always bring it to my house and resize it. And it's not trouble at all," she cut Travis off sharply. "I have nothing to do for the next week until school starts again. It's been a while since I've had a good project."

"O-okay, um, sure?"

"I insist."

Three shirts and a pair of jeans later they were heading to the next store. Though Travis didn't find anything there Kanaya was able to convince Rose into an orange-and-yellow number with light blue trim, which they all had to admit was very fitting.

"Perhaps I could break out of my shell a bit," Rose'd grudgingly agreed, though she was smiling.

Kanaya grabbed her wrist and leaned in until their foreheads touched. "You should trust me more."

"Hmm, maybe I will."

"I mean it."

"So do I."

In the next one all three of them found jeans. The store clerk tittered away as she sorted their pile of denim into three separate bags. Travis also snagged a pair of very soft sweatpants that were capri length but suited him if he rolled them up a bit.

The only awkward moment of the day was when Rose mentioned wanting to look for new shoes. Travis didn't really mind. He spent some time at one of the smaller bookstores. The owner, an elderly man, was very nice and brewed him some coffee while he waited.

The last store they stopped at was a seasonal store. Kanaya explained how they carried different clothes at different times of the year.

"Except rain gear. Temperatures actually change in Oregon, yet there will always be a need for a good raincoat, umbrella and boots combination at any point of the year."

That day's collection happened to be sweaters, hoodies, scarves, hats, gloves, mittens, boots, and jackets. And the rain gear. Travis didn't go to that section; Gamzee had already taken care of that beforehand.

"How about we all get new jackets?" Rose suggested. 

Travis then checked the price. His hesitation was obvious.

"What is it?" Rose asked.

"It's a bit pricy."

"Let me see," said Kanaya. She checked. "$125? That's not too bad. You've only spent about $380 so far."

"But-"

"Gamzee's father gave me a $1,000 budget with you today. I'd be surprised if you didn't squander a little."

"T-that much?"

"That's what I thought too," she admitted. "But then again we only got you enough clothes to last a week, and all of that was second-hand."

Even Rose had some advice. "Just enjoy this. It's supposed to be fun, and you should feel good about it."

Travis ended up spending a little more than half of the money, most of it on the jacket and four nice pairs of jeans. He really liked the atmosphere of the boutiques, especially second-hand shop, where he had found several oversized sweaters and knit tops. Travis's favorite was imported from Peru and was made of real alpaca wool; he decided to wear it, favoring it over the black hoodie he's been wearing that morning.

"We can save the rest of the money for another day. In case the need for formal wear comes up," Kanaya had said. Travis had no idea when he would need formal wear, but didn't question it.

Around six the sun vanished and it began to snow lightly again. They quickly made their way to a nearby pizzeria. Kanaya excused herself, going to place an order and text Feferi where they were. Rose went to order drinks.

"Can you find us a place to sit?"

"Sure."

It was actually quite hard, the restaurant being very crowded with families, teens, and a large group of elderly men laughing heartily, but Travis was able to locate a table near the back. He scooted in awkwardly, pushing his wheelchair as close to the chair as he could.

He looked up as Rose sat down next to him. 

"Tired?" she asked.

"A bit," he admitted. "I don't think I've ever tried on so much clothes at once in my life!"

"Yes, well, Kanaya can get quite passionate when it comes to fashion." After a long pause, the girl finally sighed. "You've been awfully quiet, Travis."

"Really?"

"I'm not sure if this is quiet for you or not, relatively speaking, but I find that people who lack things to say usually do not. They just simply have no means of saying it." She smiled a very genuine smile. "There's something on your mind."

It wasn't a question.

Travis sighed. "It's everything, I guess. I dunno…it's all so weird."

"The beginning is a good place to start."

"But where's the beginning?"

Rose thought about it. "You know, I've never really considered that. I suppose that is another relative term, isn't it? Well then, let's make the beginning the point at which your doubts begin."

"M-my doubts?"

"It is doubt that burdens your mind, right?"

"…Yeah…" The way Rose was able to read him like an open book was slightly unnerving.

It seemed the girl thought the same thing too, because a moment later Travis felt a soft yet firm grip on his hand. He looked up, brown eyes meeting her clear ones. Rose patted his hand reassuringly, not breaking their eye contact.

"I'm sorry if you find this uncomfortable. I've just found, personally, that talking about my problems have helped me in the past. That still helps me to this day." She laughed softly. "It's because of this that I tend to pry. All my friends are sick of it, to be honest. Me psychoanalyzing them."

"I don't mind," Travis cut in hastily, feeling his face coloring. "I mean to say, that, um, I guess I don't know who to talk to about…stuff."

"Then think of me as a neutral third party."

They shared a small smile before Travis began.

"How much about my situation did Kanaya tell you?"

"Not much. She respects people's privacy. She's good like that." Rose frowned and became suddenly serious. "Kanaya did tell me how everyone discovered you in Portland. I know you were taken in grave conditions, followed by an emergency double amputation. However, despite the fear, you recovered quickly and you were released after about a week.

"There was the whole issue of legality. I am aware that Gamzee's family has taken you in for the time being. After hearing about what happened on Christmas Eve with the phone call, his father called your family and cleared some of the finer details, which have yet to settle, but seem to be in order so far."

"Wait, what? When did this happen?"

For the first time since meeting her Rose blanched a bit. "You weren't aware?"

Travis shook his head. "How do you know this?"

"Pesterchum."

"Pesterchum?"

"It's an instant messager, like Skype." She cocked her head to one side. "Why? Have you not heard of it?"

"No, it's just that I use it too. Or, I made an account. I never had anyone to message."

"Hmm." Rose nodded before continuing. "Gamzee sent out a mass message the day after Christmas. He's done surprisingly well keeping everyone in the loop about your situation considering he's pretty on and off about staying in touch with anyone other than Karkat."

"C-can I…" Travis cleared his throat. "Can I see the memo?"

Rose seemed a bit surprised. She pulled out her phone and unlocked it, handing it over. "If you'd like. Here.

"Thanks."

Travis looked at the phone in his hand and began to read. 

* * *

  **terminallyCapricious [TC]** **opened memo on board JuSt LeTtIn AlL yOu MoThErFuCkErS kNoW wHaT iS uP wItH mE aNd TaVbRo.**

 

TC: So I jUsT uP aNd WaNtEd To LeT eVeRyOnE kNoW tHaT tAvBrO iS dOiN pReTtY cHiLl HeRe.

TC: My DaD iS tAkIn CaRe Of AlL tHe LeGaL sHiT rIgHt NoW.

grimAuxilliatrix [GA] **responded to memo.**

GA: If It Doesnt Trouble You, Could You Inform Us As To What Legal Measures Are Being Taken?

TC: SuRe ThInG, SiS!

TC: WeLl, It EnDs Up TaVbRo CaLlEd HiS fAmIlY oN cHrIsTmAs EvE.

GA: And How Did That Go

TC: NoT wElL :o(

TC: HiS bRoThEr WaS rEaL cHiLl, BuT hIs DaD uP aNd DiSoWnEd HiM.

apocalypseArisen [AA]  **responded to memo.**

AA: 0_0

AA: thats terrible

TC: SuRe Is.

TC: ThInG iS, mY dAd FiGuReD oUt ThErEs No MiSsInG pErSoNs RePoRt FiLeD fOr ThIs TrAvIs MaRtInEz.

GA: What Is This Implying?

caligulasAquarium [CA]  **responded to memo.**

CA: its obvvious, isnt it?

CA: he wwasnt wwanted

cuttlefishCuller [CC]  **responded to memo.**

CC: 8O

CC: Eridan, RUD---E!

CA: but its true, fef

CA: if they wwere lookin for him, then there wwouldvve been a missing persons report filed

CA: there wwasnt

CC: Look, we're talking about a reel person )(ere!

CC: And someone we octoally know!

CC: Well, at least some of us know.

CC: 8)

CA: still, wwe havve no legal grounds in keeping him, right?

CA: i mean, gamz's dad has no right

CC: Wait!

CA: wwhat?

CC: Isn't Gamzee's dad legally allowed to foster children?

TC: ExAcTlY, sIsTeR!

TC: We'Re GeTtIn TaVbRo InTo FoStEr CaRe To CoVeR lEgAl GrOuNdS!

CA: that sounds stupidly illegal and risky

GA: :?

GA: And What Do You Mean By That, Eridan?

CA: i mean, if trav's parents say no, cant they claim him?

TC: ThAt'S wHaT mY dAd'S wOrKiN oUt RiGhT nOw.

centaursTesticle [CT]  **responded to memo.**

CT: D--> No offense, b100 b100d, but this plan seems e%tremely risky

TC: HeY mAn, No WoRrIeS!

TC: BuT i'M tElLiN yOu JuSt CaLl Me GaMzEe.

CT: D--> I w001d do no such thing

CT: D--> Someone of your more NOBLE standards should hold yourself higher than the rest of us in society

TC: HaHaHa, WeLl OkAy ThEn... :o)

TC: YoU nEeD mE tO gEt My CoMmAnD oN bRo?

CT: D--> ...

CT: D--> I'm going to need a towel...

arsenicCatnip [AC]  **responded to memo.**

AC: :33 < *ac perks up when she s33s her friend, and twitches her whiskers in a friendly manner at him*

CT: D--> Nepeta, please

AC: :33 < *ac purrplexes over the situation slightly before bringing ct a fresh towel*

CT: D--> Must we role-play now? This is f001ishness upon one hundred thousand prior, equally unsolicited f001ishnesses

CT: D--> You'll stop now

AC: :PP < lame

carcinoGeneticist [CG]  **responded to memo.**

CG: GREAT

CG: ANOTHER PLAY ON STRONG BOY'S STRANGE FETISH AGAIN.

CG: ONLY FOR HIS EQUALLY STRANGE CAT FRIEND TRYING TO INTERFERE IN SAID FETISH AND NOT MAKING ANY PROGRESS.

CG: SOMEBODY PLEASE BAN THIS ASSHOLE BEFORE I LOSE IT!

TC: NaW bRo, ThAt AiN'T fAiR!

TC: LeT 'iM sAy WhAt He WaNtS.

twinArmageddons [TA]  **responded to memo.**

TA: actually, let2 not.

TA  **banned** CT  **from responding to memo.**

TA: oh, and iim 2tiill pii22ed at you, ED

TA  **banned** CA  **from responding to memo.**

AA: 0_0

AA: s0llux

TA: what??

AA: that wasnt very nice

TA: well, ii diidnt want two deal wiith hii2 2hiit today.

TA: iit2 already bad enough at 2chool.

AA: still, wasnt that a bit 0verb0ard, even in y0ur standards?

TC: :o(

CG: GREAT, LOOKS WHAT YOUVE DONE.

CG: WE HAVE A SAD JUGGALO HERE ABOUT TO MAKE A BURRITO OF HIMSELF WITH HIS BEDSHEETS.

CG: REAL SMOOTH, SOLLUX.

TA: ...

TA: what the fuck ii2 that 2uppo2ed two mean??

CG: I'M OVER AT GAMZEE'S PLACE, OKAY?

CG: SO I CAN SEE HIM CURLING UP ON HIS BED LIKE HE'S THE MOST MISERABLE PERSON ON EARTH!

TA: why ii2 he up2et??

CG: DAMN, ISN'T IT OBVIOUS?

TC: I tHoUgHt I wAs ThE oNlY oNe WhO cOuLd BaN pEoPlE :o(

TA: techniically, you are

TA: lucky for you ii fiigured out how two hack the 2y2tem.

TA: whiich ii2 actually really ea2y iif you know what two do kk.

CG: SHUT UP.

CG: I'M NOT THAT BAD AT CODING.

TA: actually, you are.

CG: AUGH!

CG: CAN WE PLEASE JUST DROP IT AND GET BACK TO THE POINT OF THIS FUCKING MEMO?

CG: LAST I CHECKED, WE WERE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE OF SOMEONE AND THAT SEEMS A LOT MORE IMPORTANT THAN THIS FUCKING HATE BULLSHIT GOING ON BETWEEN YOU AND ERIDAN.

TA: okay okay, fiine

TA: calm down.

TA  **unbanned** CA  **from responding to memo.**

CA: wwhat wwas that for?

TA: for beiing an a22.

TA: be grateful ii unbanned you.

TA  **unbanned** CT  **from responding to memo.**

TA: there, happy?

AA: ...

AA: 0kay

CG: NOT REALLY, BUT WHATEVER.

CG: GAMZEE, YOU WERE SAYING?

TC: WeLl, ThErE aIn'T mUcH mOrE tO sAy.

TC: My DaD hAd SoMe CoLlEaGuEs LoOk InTo It.

TC: He CaLlEd TaVbRo'S fAmIlY aNd TaLkEd To ThEm AbOuT iT aLl.

TC: I dOn'T rEaLlY gEt It, BuT iT sTiLl LoOkS lIkE iT'lL aLl Up AnD wOrK oUt.

TC: :o)

ectoBiologist [EB] **responded to memo.**

EB: i hope everything works out for travis

EB: he seems like a really chill guy

EB: and he was really good at halo

EB: i mean, i want vriska to challenge him one of these days!

CA: really?

CA: shes one of the best gamers

CA: you really think some random stranger can actually pose a challenge for her?

CC: Eridan, )(e's just making a suggestion!

EB: i think he can, actually

turntechGodhead [TG]  **responded to memo.**

TG: im siding with my bro egbert here

CG: HOW?

CG: YOU HAVENT EVEN MET THIS GUY.

TG: i trust him

TG: like, this guy is a pretty good character

TG: aside from his shitty taste in movies

TG: something you share in common with, by the way

EB: dude, not cool

EB: you totally ruined con air for me last year!

TG: just opening you bespeckled eyes to see the light

TG: and accept the truth that was so obvious, yet veiled to you like the light of this truthful god

TG: that being the fact that con air is a terrible excuse of a movie

TG: and nick cage is a terrible excuse of an actor

arachnidsGrip [AG]  **responded to memo**

AG: Daaaaaaaave, did I just hear you mention Nick Cage?

AG: ;;;;)

CG: OH FOR FUCKS SAKE!

AG: Give me a 8reak Karkat, I'm talking to Dave here.

TG: sup

AG: And John.

AG: Hey John!!!!!!!!

EB: heeeeeeeey vriska!

AG: Aaaaaaaaw, you used 8 e's! Here.

AG: :B

EB: eheheh, nice

TG: cute

TG: you two are so good for each other

TG: i can already hear wedding bells and cooing doves in the distance marking these matrimonial feeling you two seem to share over your boy toy of an actor

TG: congrats

TG: on a side note, dont invite me

EB: even if i make you my best man?

TG: especially if you make me your best man

CG: LOOK, I HATE TO CUT THIS HAPPY REUNION SHORT, BUT IF YOU THREE ARE GOING TO ARGUE OVER THE MERITS OF NICHOLAS CAGE I SUGGEST ALL OF YOU GET OFF THIS MEMO AND MAKE YOU OWN.

CG: NONE OF US ARE DEALING WITH YOUR SHIT TODAY.

CG: ACTUALLY, LET'S TAKE MORE DRASTIC MEASURES.

CG: SOLLUX, BAN ALL THREE OF THEM.

TA: dont feel liike iit

CG: FUCK YOU TOO ASSHOLE!

TG: no need

TG: im getting off

TG: i dont feel like arguing the merits of acting today

[TG] **ceased responding to memo.**

AG: So John, who's this Travis I have to face off on Halo one of these days?

GA: Hes The Boy We Found Last Time We Were In Portland, Vriska

GA: Surely You Haven't Forgotten Already?

AG: Oh right, him.

AG: I didn't forget.

AG: Anyway, John!

AG: Is he actually as good as you say?

EB: oh man, he's actually pretty good

EB: almost hit me in the first round! youll probably need to put a good number of irons in the fire!

AG: ::::O

AG: Looks like I'll have to meet this Travis character soon!

gallowsCalibrator [GC]  **responded to memo.**

GC: NO OFF3NS3, BUT WHO C4R3S?

AG: Oh gr8, HER. >::::(

AG: I'll pester you l8r John.

[AG] **ceased responding to memo.**

AA: hell0 terezi

GC: H4H4H4H4H4H4H4

GC: TH4T W4S TH3 F4ST3ST 1VE 3V3R H34RD H3R L34V3 4 M3MO!

AA: yes

AA: she usually stays l0nger t0 ann0y us

EB: right, im gonna go because i have a piano lesson to give i totally forgot about

GC: OK4Y JOHN

GC: 4ND 1F YOU C4N, S4Y H1 TO D4V3 FOR M3 >:]

EB: will do!

EB: later guys

[EB] **ceased responding on memo.**

CG: NOW CAN WE PLEASE GET BACK TO THE ORIGINAL SUBJECT?

CG: IT'S NOT LIKE I DON'T LOVE SEEING ALL OF YOU GETTING ALONG HAVING A GRAND TIME.

GA: I Agree

TC: I tHiNk I'vE cOvErEd AlL i KnOw.

tentacleTherapist [TT]  **responded to memo.**

TT: Well, it looks as though I've missed much of the development.

TT: But it seems that everything is going well.

GA: Indeed It Is

TT: I'm afraid I cannot stay much longer. My flight is about to leave in approximately ten minutes and the Wi-Fi connection is already weakening.

TT: I look forward to meeting Travis and hope he is doing well.

TC: SuRe ThInG!

GA: Ill See You When You Land My Dear

TT: Of course.

TT: <3

GA: <3

[TT]  **ceased responding to memo.**

AC: :33 *ac purrs in contentment at the good mews and bids everyone furwell*

[AC]  **ceased responding to memo.**

CT: D--> Nepeta brings up a good point

CT: D--> Perhaps it is time to shut down this memo, now that all the issues have been covered

GC: >:]

GC: D1D YOU 4CTU4LLY G1V3 G4MZ33 4N ORD3R?

CT: D--> Fiddlesticks

CT: D--> Pardon me, b100 b100d, for speaking out of term

TC: NaW bRo, S'cOoL!

TC: Um

TC: JuSt Go CoOl oFf WiTh A tOwEl Or SoMeThInG.

TC: yEaH

CG: GOD, JUST MAKE HIM SHUT UP!

GC: YOU KNOW YOU COULD JUST L34V3 TH3 M3MO K4RKL3S

CG: TEREZI, DO ME A FAVOR AND DON'T MAKE SUGGESTIONS

GC: H3H3

CT: D--> It seems there is no reason for me to stay any longer

CT: D--> And I find myself in need of a towel

[CT]  **ceased responding on memo.**

CG: FUCKING FINALLY!

CC: 8)

CC: Well, I'm glad everyt)(ing's working out! Glub glub!

CC: Eridan and I )(ave to )(ead off to swim practice now!

[CC]  **ceased responding to memo.**

CA: shit, i forgot about that

CA: i havvnt evven gotten dressed yet

TA: eheh.

CA: not funny, sol

CA: just let us knoww if anything changes

[CA]  **ceased responding to memo.**

AA: id like t0 meet travis

AA: d0 y0u think thats p0ssible?

GA: He Seems To Be Adjusting Well, But I Can Tell Hes Still Quite Nervous Going Out

GA: Perhaps Meeting In Small Groups For The Next Few Weeks Would Be Best

GA: Feferi Agreed To Come Along On Saturday When Im Taking Travis Clothes Shopping

GA: Would You Like To Accompany Us?

AA: i cant

AA: s0llux and i have plans

AA: perhaps an0ther time

GA: Of Course

TA: 2peakiing of plans, ii have two go piick up miituna

TA: wanna come AA?

AA: sure

TA: okay, iill be there iin 10

[TA]  **ceased responding to memo.**

AA: i sh0uld pr0bably tell my parents where ill be

AA: g0odbye

GC: BY3 4R4D14

[AA]  **ceased responding to memo.**

CG: RIGHT.

CG: WHY DON'T WE ALL CALL IT QUITS? GAMZEE AND I HAD SOME PLANS TO GET TRAVIS MORE INVOLVED. NOT TO MENTION WE HAVEN'T HAD LUNCH YET.

GA: Ill Leave You Two To It Then

[GA]  **creased responding to memo.**

GC: WH4T 4R3 YOU GO1NG TO 34T?

CG: SOMETHING WITHOUT ANYTHING RED IN IT.

GC: >:[

GC: K4RKL3S, 1M D1S4PPO1NT3D 1N YOU

CG: OH FUCK OFF!

TC: :o)

TC: ChIlL bEsT fRiEnD, sHe'S jUsT mEsSiN wItH yA!

GC: Y34H, L34RN TO T4K3 4 JOK3 K4RK4T, H3H3

GC: <3

CG: ...

GC: ...

CG: ...

GC: W3LL?

CG: FINE, WHATEVER. JUST CLOSE THE FUCKING MEMO ALREADY, I'M STARVING!

TC: HoNk HoNk :o)

TC: LaTeR bRoS.

 

terminallyCapricious [TC]  **closed memo.**  

* * *

"Wow," Travis breathed after a moment. "I didn't realize that there was so much more about, everything. Like, just everything, it's a bit, kinda...so…"

"Overwhelming?"

"A bit."

"Take your time. There's quite a line."

"What?"

"Mm?" Rose blinked, tearing her eyes away from the front of the restaurant. "Oh, nothing. Just thinking to myself a bit. Sorry."

"Oh no! Don't be. I'm still, ah, thinking so, it'll probably take a bit of time."

"Not a problem. Was there something in particular that's been on your mind? Perhaps something about your circumstance that's been perplexing or has made you nervous."

"I guess I'd been nervous about…jeez, it sound so silly, but I was starting to think that maybe, just maybe, Gamzee's family is involved in something that's, kinda illegal? Like, who else would have the means to take in someone like me, without much of a thought, really."

"Illegal?"

"Like, oh, I dunno, a drug lord or something?"

That got a genuine laugh out of Rose. "Gamzee's father a drug lord?"

"Yeah. He really didn't seem like one when I met him."

"Not at all."

"Or his mother?"

"His mother?"

Travis blushed. "I haven't met her yet. But I remember that they said she was in Italy visiting family, and I just kinda thought The Godfather."

"She's an opera singer, actually."

"Opera?"

"Yes. Born, raised, and trained there. A true professional," Rose stated matter-of-factly. "She was in America when she met Gamzee's father. I don't know the details, but apparently he fell in love with her voice. So he, through family connections, was able to ask her to dinner. She promptly returned his affections and they are still happily married twenty years later."

"That's actually…really sweet."

"I know, isn't it? I confess, I don't know anything more than that. It's all I've ever gotten about Gamzee's family, and all of it is secondhand information." She clapped suddenly. "But enough about them. We were talking about you. About the beginning."

Travis jumped a bit in surprise. "Oh, um, right. Me."

He hesitated, but this time it was thoughtful. Rose waited patiently. After almost a minute, Travis began.

"I guess the beginning starts with coming out. The day before I ran away, I came out to my parents as, well…"

"Gay?"

"Yeah."

"I'm inferring it didn't go too well."

"No, it didn't. That's why I left. I took all my savings, about $200, and bussed up north. When I ran out of money I hitchhiked. And other times I walked. It…it was pretty bad…I don't want to talk about it."

"I understand. Nothing more than your comfortable with, Travis." Rose smiled. "If it makes you feel better, I'm not straight either."

"Really?"

She nodded. "My mother was a bit more accepting than your family, it seems. It's funny, though. Most don't 'peg me as the type who would crave fish tacos' as Dave has graciously said, but yes. I'm a lesbian." She made air quotes around what Dave said.

Travis laughed a little. "I guess not. I've never thought much about gay stereotypes."

"Neither have I. It seems frivolous and mundane, especially when you and your girlfriend don't fit them."

"Kanaya?"

Rose, for the first time that night, blushed. "Yes. Was it that obvious?"

"Not really, but after you mentioned being a lesbian, I kinda assumed…"

"We've been together for almost two years now," Rose said. "When I found out that Kanaya was moving to Oregon, I was very distressed. She was my only non-Internet based friend and I didn't want to lose her. Basically the night before she left we were both at my house. I had the unfortunate idea of sampling from my mother's liquor cabinet."

Rose frowned. "Never get drunk, Travis. Hangovers are awful."

Travis nodded. "So what happened?"

"Long story short, I realized I had feelings for Kanaya and was finally able to admit them. Then I vomited all over the kitchen floor and passed out on her."

"Oh…um. I, don't know, what, to say?"

"There really is nothing to say. I made a huge mistake and embarrassed myself in front of the girl I loved. Luckily for me, it all worked out. Long distance relationships are hard, but we've been able to work through it."

Before they could get any farther, Kanaya rejoined them, carrying two large and flat boxes and a pile of napkins with her.

"Are you psychoanalyzing this poor boy, my dear?" Kanaya asked.

"Only a bit, and not against his will."

"Unlike certain individuals."

Rose crossed her arms, though her playful smile never left her face. "I will let you know I happened to get very far with Karkat until you decided to meddle."

"Oh?" Kanaya raised an eyebrow. "So now I'm the one meddling? Not you?"

"I'm merely an observer. A listening ear, if you will."

"Fine. As you were."

Kanaya sat down next to Rose and across from Travis, setting the boxes down. "I figured everyone would be pretty hungry after today's outing, so we've got two pizzas to split. One seafood, one cheese."

"I'm surprised. You're usually not one for American foods like this."

"Not usually." Kanaya turned to Travis. "So what did this girl force you to spill to her?"

"He was consenting."

"Nothing much," Travis said. "She mostly told me about herself and how you two began dating."

"Oh!" Kanaya looked quite shocked and slightly embarrassed. "Well then, that was highly unexpected."

Rose nodded, pulling one of the boxes closer to her and opening it. "I know. Usually I can crack a person much quicker. Unless said person happens to be a Vantas."

The group shared a laugh. There were about to dig in when Feferi bounded into the restaurant with her arms leaded with shopping bags. She spotted them immediately and collapsed into the empty chair next to Travis.

"Oh my glub," she groaned. "That was way too much stuff to carry!"

"What in the world did you get?" Kanaya inquired.

She waved one of her now-free hands. "Oh, you know, stuff. My mom needed groceries, Eridan bought prescription goggles he forgot to pick up, not to mention a rosin and new strings, and I had some swimsuits I wanted to check out. And then Meenah told me she forgot to pick up a birthday present for someone or something so I had to get that for her too. It was so frustrating!"

There was slight silence at the table, until Travis cleared his throat and pushed the pizza box closer to her.

"Um, pizza?"

Feferi began to laugh as she took a piece. "I really shouldn't! Oh, but I don't care! I don't have a meet for another two days!" She took a hearty bite. "Seafood?"

"We know you too well," replied Kanaya.

Dinner passed by much quicker than Travis realized. They were at the restaurant for over an hour until Rose's yawning began to signify the time was getting late.

"Oh my glub, is it already past nine!"

Kanaya checked her phone. "Seems so. I'll text my mom we're on our way home."

"You do that," Rose murmured, resting her head on the table.

"How are you faring, my dear?"

"In all honesty, I'm exhausted. I'm thinking it's a combination of traveling, jet lag, and overall lack of sleep."

Kanaya _hmm_ ed. "Yes, that does make sense. We weren't really sleeping last night, were we?"

She nodded in agreement. "More like the opposite, in fact. I would call it catching up."

"Yeah, that does have a nice ring to it."

Feferi smirked and wiggled her eyebrows at Travis. Kanaya noticed and smacked her lightly in the arm.

"Don't."

She giggled but didn't say anything.

"Then there was the late-night movie streaming afterwards," continued Rose. "And the sewing and the knitting."

"On top of the three hour time difference. And the attempt at making chocolate."

"Let us agree to never do that again."

"Let's."

"Not to mention my inability to sleep on planes."

That made Kanaya look up from her phone at Rose. "I didn't know about that."

"Neither did I until yesterday. It seems we do learn something new each day."

Feferi stretched. "Let's get back. I don't want the milk to spoil, and I've got to see Meenah off before she leaves."

"Right." Kanaya stood up and fished around her red handbag for her keys. "Ready?"

The snow had stopped, but the temperature had dropped. Travis was thankful for his new sweater and jacket. He wish he'd had his hat and gloves, but he'd left them in the car.

On the way home Travis opted to sit in the back seat with Feferi. They barely spoke, Travis watching Rose lean in and speak so softly that only Kanaya could hear. Quiet Mozart that was playing in the background. Streetlights blurred together as they drove past.

Before long Kanaya pulled into Gamzee's driveway, where the other teen was already waiting for them. She turned to tell of there arrival only to be shushed by Feferi.

"He's asleep!"

"Oh my," Rose said, smiling. "Looks like today was a long day after all."

"I'm surprised you didn't allow yourself to be lulled away too."

The crunching of gravel alerted them of Gamzee's arrival. He surveyed the scene once as Kanaya stepped out of the car.

"Long day, sister?"

"It seems so." She frowned. "Should I wake him? He looks so peaceful."

"Naw, let 'im sleep. I'll carry him back inside."

Gamzee opened the door and leaned over Travis to unbuckle the seatbelt. He scooped up the younger boy and sidled over towards the front door. The slight jostle woke Travis up.

"Mmm…Gamzee?"

"Yeah Tavbro?"

He blinked a few times, disoriented. "Wha-?"

"No worries bro, you just up and fell asleep. Rest. You had a long fuckin' day."

Travis, much to Gamzee's surprise, nodded and curled up a bit tighter to his chest.

"M'kay," he murmured before his breathing evened out again.

Travis didn't stir again, even when he was placed on his bed and tucked in. He just snuggled into the soft pillow.

It was interesting how different people looked when they slept. Like Karkat. He always looked so much more relaxed, less angry. This Travis was much less scared. He was smiling slightly, and Gamzee couldn't help but brush his hair back in an endearing way.

Kanaya snuck into the room a moment later with all the bags balanced in the wheelchair. She placed the clothing by the study desk and rolled the chair over next to the bed for Travis in the morning. Kanaya turned up to meet the other teen's eyes.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I was just thinkin' about how worried Tavbro was about people up and judging him just 'cuz he ain't got his motherfuckin' legs anymore."

Kanaya came over. "Well, if that was a concern, he didn't seem to struggle with it at all. He hardly seemed to notice, in fact. We had a splendid time on this outing."

"I'm glad."

"I should get going," she said after another moment passed.

"Right. Thanks for today, sister."

"Of course."

Once Kanaya left Gamzee allowed himself another couple of minutes to watch Travis sleep before finally going to leave. But not before planting a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"Sleep tight, Tavbro." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This just came to me randomly! Egad, typing quirks + colors = nightmarishly hard! Hopefully it all came out looking correct and somewhat authentic!
> 
> Equius refers to Gamzee as "blue blood" because he is more upper class than the others. That's to be explained in more detail eventually.
> 
> Rosemary is my favorite lesbian ship of all time! And sorry Feferi's time was cut a bit short.
> 
> See you all soon! (timeline next chapter)
> 
> \--pp


	7. Meeting the Others

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears, and new eyes. Unless a particular man made New Year resolutions, he would make no resolutions. Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do nothing effective.”  
> ― G.K. Chesterton

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is late because I became suddenly busy. I literally got b*tch-slapped by life and face-planted as hard as Mituna. Birthday, spring break, Tumblr, college applications, college acceptances, Tumblr, finding a job, getting a job, cosplay making, and (most of all) 4/13. Did I mention Tumblr? Now that that's all cleared up, back to somebody's first day of school! :D

Travis looked up from his DS as the door opened. Gamzee sauntered in a moment later, going straight to the refrigerator and grabbing a can of Faygo. He cracked it open and took a long sip, sighing heavily and plopping down on the couch next to Travis. 

"Hey Tavbro."

"Hey Gamzee." Travis closed the DS; it wasn't like he was in the middle of a battle anyway. "How were midterms?"

"Murder."

That was probably the first time he'd seen Gamzee completely drained without his trademark crooked grin. Though he was slowly beginning to relax back into it again.

Travis couldn't help but think how little he'd seen of Gamzee in the two weeks. The young Makara was out almost every day, studying or hanging out with his group of friends, not to mention school had started again. Though he'd invited him on multiple occasions, Travis refused. He still wasn't completely comfortable with the whole no-legs disposition. Gamzee seemed to understand; he'd just shrug and head out, bringing back something each time for Travis: a new hand-knitted scarf from Rose, a laptop and phone and some more books from downtown Portland, leftover popcorn from the movies, and a lot of art supplies to name a few.

Even New Year came and went without much of a hitch. Gamzee had been out of the house and Travis fell asleep, waking up the next morning and remembering that it was no longer 2013. Mr. Makara left a couple of days later, and Gamzee's mother had flown in. Travis hadn't even met her yet seeing that she was working in downtown Portland and rented a small apartment there instead.

The only major changes with Travis's life were with the sudden friendships. He had exchanged Chum handles with Gamzee, Karkat, Kanaya, Feferi, John, and Rose. Though he didn't speak to them much, it was nice to have someone to talk to. Rose had been very helpful in lending a listening ear about all his problems, and Kanaya would often leave a second opinion.

Aside from that Travis spent most of his days reading and playing Pokémon. He started spending more time in the living room and kitchen, often lounging on the couches or cooking. Gamzee's dad noticed and he even went to their library and got cookbooks out for him.

And here they were at the present: Travis sitting on the couch watching his friend. Gamzee continued to sip his Faygo until it was gone, easily tossing it into the trashcan across the room.

"Would be a miracle if I passed those motherfuckers. I don't understand why we don't just up and have them before winter break!"

"My school always has them before." Travis said. "Well, my old school."

"See. Your school knew how to make a bro happy." Gamzee sighed. "Well, at least they're all over now! What about you? How was your day?"

Travis shrugged. "Boring. There wasn't much to do."

"I can imagine, being alone and stuff." 

Another shrug. He wasn't in the position to complain. 

"But anyway, I've got a muthafuckin' miracle for you!"

"Oh?" He couldn't help but be interested with Gamzee's sudden smile illuminating the room.

"Yep. Check this out!" 

He pulled out a folded and slightly crinkled piece of paper from his back pocket, straightening it slightly before he handed it to Travis. The Hispanic boy opened it and scanned over it. "Is this…"

"A schedule? Hell yeah it is!"

"A school schedule. But why…?" And then it hit him. "Wait! You had me enrolled?"

Gamzee would not stop smiling, excited, showing all of his teeth. "Actually, my old man did it. But just think! You'll be up and learning again. Something to do! And you can finally meet all the rest of us! Isn't this a miracle in the making?"

Travis wasn't sure how to respond to it. Gamzee seemed to notice too, frowning slightly. "You okay, Tavbro?"

"It's just, I, um, I'm not sure if I'm ready, to start. In public…"

"But you've done it before."

"But that was just a small shopping area. With, um, not strangers?" Kind of.

"You'll have to do it someday."

That was true. He was about to interject but Gamzee kept speaking.

"Why not here? Why not with some friends? You went out with Kanaya and them, and it went just fine, didn't it?

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Besides, it's not like you're any less of a person because you haven't got a limb or two."

"I…I guess not."

"Anyway, our school's pretty small and really chill. Just like everything else here. I mean, we're got a graduatin' class of 80 or so this year."

Travis just nodded.

"So I was thinkin'," Gamzee continued, "that we need to go and get some school supplies for you this weekend. We don't got any homework 'cuz of exams. It all works out!"

It did. Travis couldn't deny it.

"We'll just have people you've met. Kanaya, Karkat, Feferi." He paused. "An' me."

Travis smiled a bit. "Well…that doesn't sound, too bad, I guess."

"Great! I'll let them all know what's up and happening! It'll be bitchtits wicked!"

"If you insist," he said.

Gamzee whipped out his phone and began to message everyone as Travis looked over his schedule. It looked unofficial, probably a tentative one. All CP classes, not to mention no art. He would probably go in and change that if he could. But that was a problem to solve later. Travis folded the paper and set it down, returning to his DS.

* * *

The weekend ended up becoming busier than Travis had expected. On Sunday Feferi and Kanaya came again, this time along with Karkat (who seemed to have been forced to join) to take him out to find school supplies. The five of them (seeing that Gamzee decided to tag along as well) crammed into the Prius and headed off for a short drive. A mountain of binders, notebooks, pens and pencils, and calculator all shoved into a book bag later, the five of them were eating in one of the many diners in downtown Alternia. It was raining again, something Travis was starting to get used to.

Travis was sipping a very thick hot chocolate, deli-style sandwich before him. Feferi was eating fish, Kanaya a salad, Gamzee a sweet apple pie, and Karkat a cheeseburger, a large plate of cheesy fries being split between them. It was tasty and a welcome relief after running around the stores all day. All was peaceful.

Feferi broke the silence. "So tell me more about what school was like where you were? Down in California, right?"

"Yeah, outside of LA." Travis put down his mug.

"Was it really big?"

Travis nodded. "There were about 2000 students, I think. Over 400 in my graduating class."

"Well damn!" chucked Gamzee under his breath, eyes wide.

"Are you serious?" Karkat exclaimed not under his breath, drawing several stares from the people around them. He leaned down and cleared his throat, much quieter now. "I mean, that fucking blows. I'm sorry."

Travis chased a french fry around his plate. "Yeah, I guess it sucked. I was just one of many, so I wasn't too concerned. It helped me disappear. Like, more than middle school."

Kanaya asked, "What was it like with so many people?"

"Well, classes were really big. And loud. If you didn't sit in the front sometimes it was hard to hear the lessons. Um, teachers didn't seem to care so much. So, if you were failing, you'd have to find a tutor. Most of us have never spoken to our counselors, including me. And trying out for, theater, and sports, and really anything was, um, really competitive." Travis shrugged, eating the french fry.

"Did you play any sports?" questioned Feferi.

He swallowed and shook his head. "No, but I was in the marching band. Percussion."

"See, our school's marching band is pretty pitiful. We only have fifty or so people in it."

"And a thirty person orchestra," Kanaya said.

Karkat mumbled in agreement. "Most everyone stuck in this shithole plays sports, because that's really all there is to do. Pretty much all the school funding goes there."

"You'll find," Kanaya continued, "that all our friends participate in some form of after school activity. Even if it's not through the school. Some neighboring towns have a wider variety of club sports that are offered, such as martial arts."

"You'll be up an meetin' lots'a people involved in that among our friends," said Gamzee.

"Really?"

Karkat nodded. "Yeah. But don't associate with them, because most of them are assholes."

"Carpcatfish is exaggerating," Feferi stated. "They're nice people."

"Yeah, whatever. And don't call me that!"

She promptly ignored him. "There's a bunch of exciting things to do! You'll find a niche, don't worry!"

Travis somehow doubted it, but he didn't say anything, choosing to continue munching on fries.

The conversation soon leveled out to pretty normal stuff; Fef's swim schedule, the new game that was supposed to come out within the month, something about a book drive. Travis zoned it out and stared out the window. The rain gave the entire town a grey feeling, making the restaurant seem cozier. He liked that effect.

They finished up lunch within the next ten minutes. Travis noticed Feferi pulled out a debit card without a second thought. When she noticed him watching, she smiled and said, "My family's well off. This is nothing."

Travis nodded. He still felt awkward being around people who could spend so much money without a second thought. Gamzee, Kanaya in some ways, and now Feferi too. Rose had enough money to fly over from New York for the week. He felt guilty that they all would spend so much on him.

He was quiet until they got home. Once back inside the house Travis was ready to head over to his room, but Gamzee stopped him.

"Alright there, bro?"

"Yeah," but even Travis could tell his voice sounded dejected.

Gamzee sat down on the couch and patted the spot next to him. Travis joined him, albeit with a bit more of a struggle. The taller slung an arm around Travis's shoulder.

"Care to have a feelings jam about it?"

Travis didn't even think twice about the arm, or the strange diction. He was getting used to that about Gamzee.

"I guess I'm just worried, you know, about…school and, maybe not seeing everyone."

"That doesn't make much sense to me. We're all friends here."

"But that's the thing." Travis sat up slightly and turned to look at Gamzee. "I'm not a part of that group. I'm just, well, me. I haven't met everyone yet. What if…what if I don't fit in? Or you guys don't talk to me because, I'm…not one of you?"

He bit his lower lip and turned away, suddenly shy. "I'm sorry."

What met him instead was a pair of arms snaking around his body and a shooshing sound. And embrace.

Gamzee rested his chin on the top of Travis's head. Travis could feel Gamzee's chest vibrate as he spoke. "There ain't nothin' for you to worry about. Okay? No motherfuckers're gonna hurt you, not one of 'em. You just gotta believe in second chances. Don't be thinkin' about the past too much. You were hurt then, but that's not gonna happen again. Believe that."

"O-okay." Travis's face was heating up slightly.

The other pulled away with a smile. "See. Already feelin' better!"

"Yeah." And he smiled because Gamzee was right. Just that small interaction and he was happy.

"C'mon. We've got some odd hours to kill before dinner. How's a movie and popcorn sound?"

"That sounds pretty good, actually."

"Wicked!"

Gamzee's movie collection seemed to be made entirely of bad romcoms (courtesy of Karkat) and children's animations. Travis popped one in and sat back, Gamzee returning after about five minutes with pillows, blankets, and a bowl of popcorn. He then went about making a blanket fort and refused to start the movie until completely satisfied with the results.

So they spent the whole eventing there, with Faygo and popcorn and Studio Ghibli.

* * *

"Up and at 'em Tavbro!"

Travis's eyes popped open at the sudden noise, immediately flooded by wild violet. He let out an uncharacteristic shriek and sat up suddenly, which he soon realized was a very bad idea. The crack of bone-on-bone practically resonated as both he and the intruder groaned.

"Ow, shit motherfucker."

"G-gamzee?"

"Yeah bro," he heard from the floor by his bed. "Sorry about that. Didn't mean to up and scare ya. Just wanted to wake you up for school."

Right. School. Travis groaned again, rubbing his sore forehead. "What time is it?"

"5:30! Figured you'd want time to shower and eat."

He flopped back onto his back. "Too early."

A chuckle. "I'm guessin' ya ain't much of a mornin' person then?"

"Absolutely not."

Gamzee laughed again and Travis heard him sitting up. "Remember anything from last night?"

"Mmm, not really. I'm guessing I fell asleep?"

"Yep! So I carried you back here. Though you did wake up long enough to change."

Travis sighed. "That sucks. I actually like The Cat Returns."

More shuffling. "Me too, brother. Here, lemme get the light for you."

"No, it's fine--" but it was too late as the blinding light flooded the room. Travis reflexively flopped face first into the mound of pillows.

The bed shifted as Gamzee clambered in next to him, shaking him. "C'mon, you need to wake up! Time to go and learn and see people and experience all the miracles life's got in store for us today."

"Fine, fine, I'm getting up, see Gamz--OH MY GOD!!"

Travis covered his mouth to prevent screaming more when he saw Gamzee's face after his eyes adjusted, now wide open in shock and panic.

The other's face was shocking, painted white with a curved grey pattern around the eyes and mouth. Travis saw that it even covered Gamzee's eyelids when he blinked. His eyebrows and lips were both blackened so they stuck out against the rest of his face. It was obviously Gamzee; no one else had that wild hair or deep violet eyes. But the clown make-up was definitely off-putting.

Gamzee could tell. He grinned sheepishly. "Shit bro, I'm sorry. Forgot to tell you this is what I do with my face."

"I can, see that." Travis took a steadying breath. "Sorry I freaked."

Gamzee shook his head. "Not a problem. You're not afraid of clowns, are you?"

"No, thankfully." Travis replied. Then he noticed something and frowned. "Gamzee? You're, um, bleeding. From here."

He circled a finger around the nose area. Gamzee frowned as well and wiped it away with the back of his hand. It came away with some white paint and red blood. His eyes widened a fraction.

"Guess I'll be up and takin' some time to clean this shit up, eh?"

"And I'll get up."

Travis pushed himself out of bed and into his chair. He turned back towards Gamzee, who had now turned on the main lights in his room. "So, um, why the, um, that?"

"You mean the clown I got on my face."

He nodded.

The Makara grinned and pointed to his face. "Well, people always be noticin' these scars of mine, see. I don't really like the way people look at me and start judging me because of them. I find all those motherfuckers don't seem as mean when I've got on this face."

"How did you get the scars?" Travis asked. In truth, he'd never brought them up before.

Gamzee's smile vanished. Something dark flashed through his eyes.

"It was a few years back. Something we try not to think about. We put it behind us."

"We?"

But Gamzee seemed to forget about it. His expression relaxed again.

"Yeah. Me and a couple of bros. But that was a while ago and it hasn't come up since. I didn't wanna freak ya, so I've been applyin' it at school and takin' in off before getting home. Anyways, shower?"

"Um, sure."

Travis allowed himself to be wheeled over to the dresser. He picked out something simple and warm--black turtleneck and blue jeans with the oversized cardigan--before Gamzee pushed him into the bathroom.

The older went straight to the mirror and worked at the nosebleed he was sporting. Travis stared a bit. The makeup, now that he wasn't freaking out about it, didn't look that bad. Strange, yes, but somehow it worked. Like it was meant to be.

Gamzee noticed the staring and turned. "Somethin' wrong Tavbro?"

"Hmm?" He shook his head. "Oh, no. Sorry."

"Nothing to apologize for." Gamzee gestured towards the shower. "Ya gonna take one?"

Travis nodded. He groggily began to unbutton his shirt, barely registering that Gamzee hadn't left yet. Gamzee blinked a few times before turning his back.

This had become more or less a normal thing now. Travis would undress and have Gamzee help him into the shower, and have him hand a towel in after. Mr. Makara had hired a caregiver to help, but it ended almost as quickly as it'd began (Travis got too embarrassed being naked in front of a stranger and asked that he didn't have the hired help anymore). Somehow Travis didn't find it odd with Gamzee. And it wasn't as if he was completely in his birthday suit either. He always made sure to secure underwear before and after leaving the shower.

Travis accepted Gamzee's strong arms carrying and placing him gently on the shower seat. Once the curtain was closed he pulled off his boxers and tossed them through the slight gap between the wall and the shower curtain. Then he cranked up the water to hot, letting it warm up before allowing it to spill over his body with a content sigh.

After helping Travis in, Gamzee went back to fixing his makeup. The only motion he made was to wipe the mirror clear or steam, then sit down on the toilet and read a comic until Travis was ready to get out.

The call came after about fifteen minutes. Wordlessly he handed the towel through the gap. Travis wiped down his neck and torso before remembering something.

"Shoot. Gamzee?"

"Yeah bro?"

"I forgot to grab a new pair of compression socks. Could you, ah, grab them for me? They're in the box, under the bed."

Gamzee nodded, then remembered Travis couldn't see him. "Sure thing. Gimme a sec."

He sauntered out, humming. Travis breathed out slowly. He finished toweling off his hair and reached down to check his legs.

The scars seemed to be healing well. No longer needed antibiotics or painkillers. They weren't red. No sign of infection. Good. Travis went to a checkup just a week ago to the local doctor's office. Nothing had been out of the ordinary then either.

Travis dried his legs off, then shifted forward so he could reach his back. Once that was done, he took a breath and lifted himself up from the seat, allowing the towel to slide down the seat so he could finish drying off his butt.

He was about to sit down again when his right hand slipped and he found himself tumbling into the hard tub. He tried to find some purchase, but only managed ripping the shower curtains down with him. Hitting the ceramic with a loud bang, Travis swore at the sharp pain that ran up his right side.

"Tavbro!"

The bathroom door slammed open and Gamzee practically flew in, kneeling next to the tub. "Are you okay? I heard one hell of a kaboom."

Travis pulled himself up with shaky arms so he was eye level with the other. 

"I think so." He patted himself down. "Nothing's broken. And I'm not, bleeding or anything."

Gamzee breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god." Then he smiled. "Don't scare me like that! I keep tellin' you to let me help you dry off. It's not the first time you've up and almost hurt yourself."

"I know! But..." Travis blushed. _I don't want to be such a burden._

"Here, let's getcha outta there."

Travis was about to accept Gamzee's hand when the other hesitated. He cocked his head to one side.

"Is something wrong?"

"You got your towel bro? I mean, I don't want'cha to feel exposed or nothin'."

It was then that he remembered he was naked with nothing but shower curtains hiding anything. Flushing deep red, Travis grabbed for the now soaked towel and awkwardly held it up to hide his nether regions. Gamzee chucked and picked him up.

"From now on, let me help you dry off, okay?"

Travis didn't reply, blushing even darker. He bit his lip at the thought.

The rest of the morning passed without incident. Travis got dressed and went to the kitchen where Gamzee had already made them omelets. They packed lunches in brown paper bags, simple and stereotypical: sandwiches, juice boxes, apples, chips. By the time they were done, it was 7:00.

"What time does school start?" Travis asked. He was perched by the sink scrubbing their pans and plates.

"Eight. Most people get there about half an hour early, though." Gamzee glanced at the clock as he handed Travis the forks. "I guess I up and woke us up a bit early."

Travis nodded. He placed the dishes on the drying rack. Gamzee was already there to hand him a towel.

"I don't mind being this early. Aside from the waking-up part, that is. Thanks."

"Sure thing."

"So…no what?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. Guess we've got time to talk things through. Got any big questions this motherfucker can answer?"

"Not really." He fidgeted with the ends of the oversized sleeves, now rolled down. "I'm just nervous. I, um, never did well in public, especially around new people. Like, there was one time my family went on a trip to Mexico, to see my grandpa. I was so nervous, I couldn't speak Spanish. And of course _Abuelo_ didn't speak English, so, um, it wasn't good."

Gamzee slumped and leaned back onto the counter, gazing at Travis. "Can you tell me more about that family of yours? I've barely heard you speak about them since coming here."

"Oh!" Travis seemed surprised by the request. "O-okay, if you want. Can we go over what you know about them already?"

"Yeah. You got theee sisters and three brothers, all of 'em older than you. A mom and dad who were both farmers. And now your old man's a mechanic, right?"

"Auto technician."

Gamzee splayed his hands out as if to say, 'That's it.'

Travis didn't realize he'd spoken so little about them. "Oh wow. Um, okay, so you kinda know about them." He laughed nervously before continuing. "Well, my parents had two of my sisters before my oldest brother. Maria, Josefina, and Rufio respectively. Then the twins, Emmanuel and Paola, and then Miguel. And I'm the last one."

"They never gave you a Mexican name?"

"My middle name is Gabriel. They used to call me that when I was little, until I asked them to call me Travis. It was kinda embarrassing having such a foreign name. Oh, and Rufio's real name isn't Rufio either. It's Raphael. He was really into Peter Pan when we were kids, and loved Rufio's character in Hook so much he decided to go with it."

"Does the name have a meaning?"

"Something along the lines of 'he who has red hair' I think? It always worked because he had kinda reddish hair in the light. And then he dyed it red too." Travis smiled at a fond memory. "He would always play with me, no matter what. Even after he grew out of Peter Pan he still pretended with me. And then he got me into anime when he was in high school. Like Pokémon and stuff."

Gamzee nodded. "Sounded like one cool guy to me. Where was he when you decided to go?"

Travis bit his lip a bit. "He left, right after his high school graduation. Moved out with his girlfriend. We haven't heard from him since. That was a couple of years ago. I just figure he's in the same line of work as my dad now, since Dad taught him everything he knew."

"And your grandparents? Aunts, uncles, cousins?"

"My whole extended family lives in Mexico still. Well, most of them. I think one of my uncles and his family moved to Spain, and two of my aunts are living in Columbia. My father's father is my only living grandparent. He's a farmer and owns some animals too. I liked going there during the summer and seeing it all. It was a good way to get away from everything."

"You're family close?"

Travis shook his head. "My father's the youngest, so all my cousins are much older than me. My mother only had two siblings, and they're the ones who moved away. I heard a lot of my family's into the drug trade, which is a big reason why my parents left Mexico. I've never really met anyone except _Abuelo_. And I was only ever super close with Rufio."

He cleared his throat. "But what about you? I don't know much except that your dad works in DC and your mom is an Italian opera singer."

"That's 'cuz there's not much else to say," Gamzee replied with a chuckle. "But I'll speak for a brother's sake. I have one uncle on my dad's side and two on my mother's. No biological aunts, and no cousins. I've got an older brother."

"I think you mentioned that."

"Yeah, might've. His name's Carlos, but he had a real bad speech impediment as a kid, so he would always call himself Kurloz. The nickname stuck. That's about it for me. Coffee?"

Though the sudden question was unexpected, Travis nodded. Caffeine sounded like a good idea now. Gamzee began to brew some, humming under his breath. Travis didn't recognize the song.

"Creamer?"

"The French Vanilla."

A mug half-full of coffee slid down the counter towards him, followed by the bottle of creamer. The coffee sloshed a bit, but Travis was close enough to the paper towels not to care. Gamzee dug around the refrigerator for a few more seconds before pulling out soy milk. He grinned and drank it straight from the carton.

Travis glanced towards the clock as he stirred in the creamer. It was almost 7:20.

"I should probably get my stuff. How far away is the school?"

Gamzee shrugged. "It's about a fifteen minute drive. We live in Skaia Township, so it's a bit far. Karkat lives pretty close to the school, so he walks. Unless the weather's really bad."

"So, um, how are we getting to school? The bus?"

"Naw. I don't really like riding the bus 'cuz that motherfucker never gets to the school early enough for me to see my bros."

"So you're driving?"

"Yep." He took one more swig of soy milk before putting it away. "Ready to go?" 

"Not really," Travis replied, "in all honesty."

"That's fine, bro. Scary shit, being in a new place."

Travis allowed himself to be placed in the wheelchair. Gamzee pushed him to the living room where his new book bag was.

"I'm gonna go upstairs and grab my shit. And the keys. Then we'll be out."

"Okay."

Travis took the opportunity to finish his coffee. Two minutes later Gamzee was hopping down the stairs while pulling on a pair of threadbare purple Converse and a black hoodie. His book bag was slung over one shoulder and his keys were on a lanyard wrapped around his hand.

"Let's go!"

They left, Gamzee punching in the security code. The doors locked and a double beep sounded. It wasn't raining, but there was definitely an overcast and it was cold enough to see their breaths. Travis shivered and pulled his hat and gloves out of his bag, which was slung to the back of his wheelchair.

Travis asked, "What kind of car do you drive?"

"A truck, actually. She's a bit on the old side, but she runs good." Gamzee wheeled Travis towards the garage, which he'd never been in before. It was already open; no doubt Gamzee had done that earlier. There was one sedan sitting there, but the Makara pointed to the other vehicle excitedly.

"This here's Ol' Rusty! She'll be takin' us up to the school!"

Old Rusty ended up being a very old truck. Travis was sure it'd seem much better days years ago. It was probably red once upon a time, but had now faded to a rusty orangey-brown. Designs were spray-painted all over the hood and doors in a multitude of colors. It was pretty much a battered old truck.

But the look of pride on Gamzee's face made Travis think for a moment rather than speaking his mind.

"Me and Karkat found her one day at a junkyard. Owner said they were gonna tear her down for scraps. So we bought her and fixed her up. 'S not much, but it's ours and that makes her a fuckin' special thing!"

Travis smiled and nodded. He knew what that was like, having watched many a car being put together.

Gamzee helped him into the vehicle, putting the wheelchair carefully into the bed of the truck. He hopped into the driver's seat and revved the engine, which was loud. Very loud. Once the vehicle roared to life it quieted slightly to a shuddery hum.

"Not really sure what the problem is," Gamzee admitted, pulling forward enough to close the garage. "We're gonna have a guy look at it next weekend."

"My dad tried to get me into cars," Travis said quietly. "But I was never really interested. Or very good at it. Always ended up breaking something or almost hurting myself."

Gamzee shrugged as he cranked up the head and warmed his hands. "Not everyone's good at that sorta thing. Besides, me and Karkat had help. Guy named Equius. He's pretty cool. Kinda puts everyone off at first, but once you get to know him it's chill all around!"

The clock on the dashboard flashed to 7:31. Gamzee shifted gears and rolled out of the driveway. He made a sharp left. The truck sputtered slightly and it didn't seem to like being driven at all, but she held. And then Travis learned what true fear was.

His brother had been a reckless driver in some respects (always claiming a car "just wants to fly"), but even this was a bit ridiculous. Travis didn't say anything, for fear of being rude, but Gamzee was careening about 50 miles an hour through a hilly and wooded area. He barely seemed to be concentrating, driving casually with one hand barely on the wheel. Travis just dug his nails into the seat and gritted his teeth.

"Wanna listen to some music, bro?"

"No, I'm good." Travis honestly didn't want to distract Gamzee more by asking him to fiddle with the radio.

At last the truck slowed down, pulling into a parking lot. He parked as close to the school as he could manage, which wasn't too bad. Travis didn't relax until after the key was pulled from the ignition. He sighed, only to tense up again as he thought about school. He barely noticed when Gamzee got his wheelchair and helped him into it as the nerves began to settle in his stomach like butterflies.

The building was very bland. A very standard-looking school, with two stories and evenly spaced windows. Brick with ivy growing up the side. It could almost pass as something from in the movies when talking about old-fashioned architecture.

"I didn't think buildings were this old around here," he stated.

"I heard it's not," replied Gamzee. "Just lots of things around here have an older feel 'cuz all the building designers like having that Victorian shit around. I think it looks bitchtits wicked, so I ain't complainin'."

They went up to the building. Though it did look older, there were definitely some newer features, like the windows and the handicap ramp. The doors too. Inside was a narrow hallway. To the left was a cafeteria where a bunch of students were loitering. To the right an assembly hall or stage. Down the hall were a few bathrooms and what looked like offices and classrooms.

"We're gonna head over to guidance," Gamzee said. It's down near the end next to the main office. This here is the back entrance, but we call it the student entrance 'cuz the parkin' lot's right there."

"Okay."

"All the art, music, English, and language classes are down here. Upstairs is where the math and science classes are at. And there's an elevator."

Gamzee didn't say much else after that. He lead Travis over to the office. The door was wide open.

"I brought someone new!" Gamzee sing-songed as he pushed Travis in. There was a desk and there saw a portly woman with glasses. She looked up at Gamzee and smiled.

"Good morning to you, sunshine. Who's you're friend there?"

"A transfer student! The one my dad was goin' on about."

"Oh, I remember! You're Travis Martinez, right?" asked the woman at the desk.

"Hell yeah he is, Karen!"

"Language, Makara, or I'll have to write you up." But she was smiling, so that was obviously an empty threat.

"My name is Karen Jay. Most people call me one or the other. Come see me if you ever need anything involving attendance, okay? I can also help you schedule if you need to see a guidance counselor at all." Once he nodded, she printed out and handed him a sheet of paper. "Here's a copy of your schedule. We edited it after getting your previous school records. You're locker number and combination are on the top right there. And here's the elevator key. Just remember to return it here every day."

"Thank you," he said nervously, taking the paper before Gamzee wheeled him out of the room. As he looked over it, Travis could see that the everything he wanted were already on it. All advanced classes, Art II, and his gym period at the end of the day was replaced with a study hall. Though he was in Spanish for some reason.

"Why am I in a Spanish III class?" he asked.

Gamzee laughed a bit. "Well, we've got a language requirement in this fuckin' school, and we don't got the means to let you test out. Hope you don't mind. If it makes you feel any better, me and Karbro are in that class."

"Really?"

"Sure are, brother!"

Well, that was one less thing to worry about after lunch.

Karkat joined them when they exited the office, causally leaning on a nearby locker.

"Morning best friend!"

"Yeah yeah, save your fucking pleasantries. Everything set?"

"Yep."

"So your dad got all the legal shit out of the way it looks like?"

Gamzee hummed. "Seems so."

"Cool."

Travis was beginning to feel guilty again. "You're dad went through all the trouble for me?"

"He was helping a bro out. Besides, when he met you, he liked you. So he was willing to go through all that motherfuckin' bull to get you legally into school and stuff."

"Lemme see your schedule," Karkat snapped, suddenly grabbing it. He scanned it with…was that a growl?

"Great. You've got Anderson for chemistry."

"Is that bad?" he asked.

Gamzee shrugged. "I think he's a chill teacher. Never had a problem with him."

"Whatever. He's an ass."

It seemed just about everyone was an ass in Karkat's dictionary.

He pointed at the second period slot. "You've got Prelog for math. She's an absolute bore."

"Get your z's on, brother. We had her for geometry last year too. Except not advanced."

"Greggs taught advanced last year. Shame. He actually made math bearable."

Travis asked, "Who's the Spanish teacher? What's he like?"

"Señor Cara? The most wicked teacher ever!"

"Pretty much," Karkat agreed. "He never stays on the curriculum, so we usually delve into Spanish history, economics, culture, the likes. And we have tests over them. We're also doing a year-round reading of Don Quixote which we'll be reenacting as out final. But we still learn Spanish. Not that you need to."

Travis didn't, though he wouldn't mind leaning about Spain.

The rest of the teacher's personalities couldn't be covered, seeing that neither Karkat nor Gamzee had had them before. So instead they headed towards the elevator while talking about what they'd heard from others. Apparently Ms. Martin, the English teacher, was easily distracted and very kind, while Mr. Donaldson, the art teacher, was hard to please. His wife, Mrs. Donaldson, was the physics teacher, whom Travis wouldn't have until next year, assuming he stayed until then.

As they got to the elevator the bell rang.

"Already? Fuck shit, I didn't print out that lab writeup!"

"We got time if we hurry, Karbro!"

Karkat took the key from Travis, turned it, and mashed the call button. "Sorry Travis, I'm gonna have to make a run to the library. You can find your way to class, right? It's right fucking there, so you can't miss it."

It came with a ding. Gamzee leaned over and said, "One of us'll be around between each period to take you where you gotta go. We already got permission to, so you just hang tight until we get there, got it?"

"Got it."

"Anyway, meet us here before fifth period?" asked Gamzee. "We'll take you down to the lunch room then."

"Okay. That works."

Karkat nodded. "Great. We'll pick your ass up and cart you over then. Make sure you're not late."

With that the elevator doors slid shut and Travis was off to first period. The thing was ancient and the whirring noises weren't comforting. He sighed and fiddled with the end of his shirt again until the ding brought him back to attention.

Travis pushed himself out of the elevator, pocketing the key and checking his schedule. Mr. Henry Anderson, Advanced Chemistry, Room 209. He looked around. The elevator seemed to pop out halfway in the hallway. He saw room 218 to his right and 216 to his left. Travis took a left. Thankfully the hallways were pretty empty.

It took a minute to get down the hallway. Classrooms and lockers lined the whole thing. The floors were slippery from wet shoes and it wasn't a comforting feeling sliding around. At least he'd gotten the hang of the wheelchair enough not to crash into obstacles anymore.

The numbers kept going down, the odds to the left. 215, 213, a restroom, 211…

And nothing. It wasn't there. The hallway ended with a sudden set of stairs. The two rooms were 211 and 210.

Confused, he looked back down at his schedule. There was no denying he read it correctly. Now Travis was confused. Where was room 209?

"Can I help you?"

Travis looked up to see a girl picking up her messenger bag from the floor in front of an open locker. She looked at least half Asian. She had long, thick black hair that curled down her back, wearing black leggings and a simple blouse with tan boots. Her eyes stuck out like hawk's, and her lips were painted red, which contrasted sharply with her pale skin.

"Um, what?"

"You look a bit lost. And you have a schedule." She nodded towards the paper in his hands. "I figured you didn't find the room you were looking for."

"209," he blurted out.

"That's in the opposite direction. Rooms 210 to 220 are in this hallway, and 200 to 209 are at the crossing near the end. I'm going in that direction, if you want me to show you."

"If you wouldn't mind…"

"I don't."

Their short travel was relatively silent. She didn't say anything until they were standing in front of the room.

"This is 209. All the classrooms in this hallway are labs. The other hallway there is all math. I'm in 208 for physics. I could take you to your next class, if you'd like."

Travis smiled. "Thanks, but I already have someone coming to get me…?" What was her name.

The girl caught on. "Oh. I'm sorry. Aradia Megido."

"Travis Martinez."

They shook hands. Aradia glanced at one of the clocks.

"The bell will ring in twenty-six seconds. I have a couple of acquaintances in your class. They're both very nice. Look for two best friends. You won't miss them."

Aradia turned and walked into room 208. Travis didn't have much time to ponder as the bell rang. He pushed himself into the new classroom.

It was a very stereotypical chemistry room, though much smaller than his old school. There were nine lab desks lined up in three rows, all but one which was occupied by pairs. The walls were lined with rules and a giant periodic table of elements. A man he assumed was Mr. Anderson stood at the very front by the chalkboard and another larger lab table, calling for order over the slight conversation.

Mr. Anderson was a younger teacher, probably in his thirties, with glasses and blond hair. He noticed Travis immediately.

"Class, we have a new student today!"

That immediately silenced everyone. Sixteen pairs of eyes turned to him. Travis gulped.

Thankfully, the teacher did the introductions. "According to the email I received, his name is Travis and he hails from Los Angeles. Make sure he feels welcome."

Travis waved shyly. Mostly smiles, some eyes going to his legs, or lack thereof.

"Travis," Mr. Anderson said, "I'm Mr. Anderson. If you could take a seat over at lab station six. Yeah, that empty one over there. Natalie, Ethan, can you work with him for now? Thanks!"

One of the girls waved to him. Travis got to her.

"Hi! It's nice to meet you! I didn't know we were having a mew student!"

"Neither did I," he said, "until, well, last week. So here I am."

The girl smiled. "I'm sorry. We just usually don't get many pawpul around here. Alternia is a purrity boring place fur moving to."

Travis nodded. "So I've heard."

"You can sit here next to us. We have an odd number in this class with you, so I'm sure Mr. Anderson will let us work in a group of three."

"Oh, okay. Thanks."

He parked his wheelchair and pulled himself up carefully to perch on the nearest stool. The girl dragged her chair over to his table. So did the guy next to her.

She stuck her hand out. "I'm Nepeta, by the way. Not Natalie."

"That's an, interesting name" Travis said before anything else. Realizing how rude it sounded, he blushed. "I mean, it's not a bad name. Just, ah, unique."

Nepeta smiled again. "Yep! But it's just a nickname."

Something about her name sounded familiar. Travis gazed at her thoughtfully. "You wouldn't happen to know a guy named Gamzee, would you?"

"Wait! You're _the_ Tavbro?" asked the girl immediately. Her shout drew attention to them, but she hardly cared as her smile grew wider. "I can't believe I didn't connect the dots until now! You're pawsitively more adorable than Gamzee said!"

Travis turned a deep shade of red, causing her to giggle more.

The burly guy next to the girl frowned. "Nepeta."

She pouted at him before laughing a bit more. "I'm sorry, that must've sounded rude! This brute next to me is Equius."

Equius nodded solemnly.

Nepeta was surprisingly tall and lean. Not to mention her handshake was firm. She seemed like a person who really liked anime and cats, considering she was wearing a knit hat of a blue cat over a puff of auburn hair and a Hetalia t-shirt. She had an oversized green jacket and baggy beige cargo pants on.

Equius, meanwhile, was more on the lines of freakishly tall, and muscular. And kinda…sweaty. He was sweating quite a bit for a guy only wearing a tank top and shorts. He also seemed nervous about something, but Travis had no idea what. His black hair was flat and fell neatly to his shoulders. He nodded tersely and practically broke Travis's hand with his handshake.

"Do you guys know a girl named Aradia by chance?" he asked. "She said she had a couple of friends in this class."

Equius paled, and then blushed. Nepeta laughed a bit.

"We do. We're those friends!"

"Oh cool!"

"We aren't that close, though."

"How do you know her?" Equius asked.

"Me? She walked me to class. I got lost on my way hear actually."

"Yes, the hallways can be exceedingly tricky to navigate when one isn't used to them. I'm guessing you were passing her locker at the end of the hall after the first bell?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

Nepeta giggled and poked her friend in the side. "Equius here's got a flush crush on her~"

"Nepeta, please," he hissed, sweating even more. "Don't speak your mind on such lewd topics. Especially so loudly. You will stop now."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes!"

Her eyes narrowed. "Make me."

Travis watched as Equius reached into his bag and pulled out a towel, mopping his brow. "I'll go get us coats and goggles."

"This doesn't end the conversation!"

He stood up, banging the chair loudly. "I cannot think about her in that way with me, and neither should you. Besides, she's in a steady relationship."

Then Mr. Anderson broke the tension by tapping their desk.

"Less gossip, more work," he teasingly said, handing them eight vials of chemicals.

Travis recognized the lab almost immediately.

"I did this last quarter at my old school. The one with a mystery chemical, right?"

"Really!" Nepeta winked. "Looks like we can keep gossiping!"

Mr. Anderson fake-glared at her. "Work, children!"

The whole class laughed a bit before they actually began working.

Equius returned with their things. As Nepeta began to drop the first chemical onto the overhead paper Equius removed his cracked sunglasses and donned his goggles. His eyes were a dark brown, almost black. He handed Travis a sheet of paper.

"Do you mind taking the notes, since you've done this lab before?"

"I don't mind." He put his name at the top of the paper, but not being sure how to spell the other two he didn't even attempt.

"So what now?" Nepeta asked. "We just drop the mystery solute in this?"

Travis pointed. "Each square is a different combination. So if we make note which is which, then when we mix them all with the mystery solute the colors should tell us which it is."

"Oh! That's simple enough!"

Simple enough seemed to mean messing up twice and having to start over. In the end Equius told Nepeta exactly which bottles to use after accidentally crushing a bottle in his grip, followed by a very loud "Fiddlesticks!" which put the whole class in an uproar. They barely completed the lab within the time.

"So now we just need to do the write-up for homework, right?" Travis asked.

Mr. Anderson clapped his hands. "Yes it is. And a reminder to the class. Your write-ups are individual work! Make sure everyone has a copy of the notes too! It's due in on Wednesday."

Equius snapped a picture. "I'll send this to you over Pesterchum, Nepeta."

"Purrfect!" Nepeta dumped the chemicals down the drain. "Travis? Do you have a chum handle?"

"Yeah, here." Travis scribbled it on the corner of both their papers. His paper had a swirly "arsenicCatnip" and a blocky "centaursTesticle" on his. Travis decided not to comment on the latter. They quickly cleaned up completely; Travis washed and dried the overhead, Equius put their coats and goggles away, and Nepeta brought the chemicals back to the front of the room.

The bell rang. Most of the class swarmed out immediately. Nepeta paused, waiting for Equius to pack his bag.

"Do you need help getting to your next class?"

"Oh, no, thank you. Gamzee said he's going to take me there."

As if on cue, one very familiar head popped through the open door.

"Ready to go, Tavbro?" Once Travis nodded, Gamzee turned to Mr. Anderson. "Is everything chill, Mr. A?"

"Pretty much. How's junior year treating you so far?"

He shrugged. "Oh, ya know. Same old, same old."

"And Carter?"

"He's doin' well."

"Pop in whenever you can. You weren't one of my best students, but you were always a positive influence on the class."

"Aw shucks, thanks sir. Didn't think I was that special."

"Just being honest. Have a good day, all four of you."

"Are we all headed downstairs?" Gamzee asked them when they left the room.

"Yep!" replied Nepeta. "I have Latin."

"As do I."

"Tavbro has English."

"With Martin?"

Travis nodded.

"She's easily distracted."

"So I've heard," he replied.

The four of them took the elevator, which seemed less shady with company. When they got out the three accompanied Travis all the way to the door.

"If you would permit me to speak," Equius began, but Gamzee cut him off with the wave of a hand.

"Don't. We're all friends here. No need to put me on one of them fuckin' pedestals. Call me Gamzee, Equibro."

"If you wish. I was merely inquiring if you would like us to take him here from now on. You have to run up from English, and it is quite an inconvenience."

"I don't mind it. 'S all up to Tavbro here."

Travis shrugged. "I don't mind either way. We'll see, I guess." 

"We'll all see you at lunch then!" said Nepeta brightly. "Bye Travis."

"Bye."

Equius nodded firmly, following his friend. Gamzee pointed the other direction.

"I've got choir right down the hall, so I'll be really fast to take you to wherever."

"You're in choir?"

He smiled. "Yep. I do love a good tune."

"I didn't peg you as the type."

"Been singing all my life. Got double choir this year! Took some convincin' to get administration to let me. I mean, I'm takin' all my required classes so there ain't no harm in me doin' what I love."

The bell would soon ring, so Gamzee went off on his way and Travis entered a second new classroom.

English was, as everyone had said, was very random. Ms. Martin had him introduce himself, causing Travis to stutter until he blushed scarlet, but no one seemed to bother about it. She handed him a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird and stated to the whole class that they were to read that for the whole quarter, then vote on a Shakespearian play for the fourth quarter. The class proceeded to have her tell them a story of when she had studied abroad in college and gotten lost in Africa. In the end Travis learned nothing about literature, a lot about monkeys, and wondered exactly how much he would achieve in school.

Gamzee walked him up to math. Mrs. Prelog was a bore, just as they had said. Still, Travis forced himself awake and took notes diligently. Unlike a lot of people, who were staring out the window or texting. Travis didn't blame them. They did have a good view of the forest surrounding the track. The teacher offered him a small smile at the end of class. Travis was glad for the book bag on the back of his chair; the textbook was ridiculously heavy.

Karkat was waiting outside.

"Hi Karkat."

"Hey. Gamzee can't get you this period because he's got gym. Needs to change for basketball. So I'm taking you to electronics, CompSci. It's a stupid semester course, but it's an easy grade. Two of our friends slept through that shit and got hundreds, so I figured it would be a good way to burn out a period."

"You suggested it for my schedule?"

Karkat nodded.

"Thanks. I'm glad I have a class with someone I know."

"Cool. We'll meet Gamzee after it by the elevators. It's going back from the cafeteria, but we'll catch Gamzee on the way over."

Another round down the rickety elevator and they made their way to a small classroom right by the auditorium. A computer lab of twenty computers with swivel chairs in front of them. Their teacher, who's name sounded very foreign and confused Travis to no end, began to explain the basics of passing the class. They went through a syllabus, set up personal accounts, and were given the rest of the period to do whatever they wanted. Karkat pulled a laptop out of his own bag. Travis did his math homework.

After an eternity, the bell rang. Karkat pushed Travis down the hall.

"You've had to cart yourself around. Figured you arms would be giving up by now."

They weren't, but he was still thankful.

When they got to the elevator, the hallway's crowds thinning out since everyone was headed in the opposite direction towards the cafeteria, but there was no sign of Gamzee. Travis looked around. He glanced up at Karkat only to find he was typing away at his cell phone again. Travis took to picking at his cardigan sleeves.

"He'll be here any moment. Quit looking so fucking anxious."

"Did I look anxious?"

Karkat snorted and went back to his phone. "Again, give him a minute."

True to his word, Gamzee met up with them a couple of minutes later.

"Sorry I'm late. Some teachers are just not cool with lettin' us all out on time."

"Yeah, we know."

Travis asked, "How was gym, Gamzee?"

The taller shrugged. "It was okay. Nothing special."

"Did you pack lunch?" When Travis nodded, Karkat nodded as well. "Good. Don't trust the food here. It makes jail food look like the meat off of heavenly cows, and we're stuck with the 'holy' fucking excrement."

Travis wasn't sure if he should laugh or not.

Karkat headed towards the corner of the cafeteria. "You coming Gamzee?"

"Of course!"

"I guess I'll just go then…"

"No way, bro. You'll be up and sittin' with us today. Until you make some friends from any other crowd, if that's up your motherfuckin' alley."

"Um, okay." Not that he could object, considering Gamzee was already leading him to the group of tables in the far corner by the windows.

It was actually three square tables, foldable black plastic, shoved next to each other into one long one, surrounded by the squat green-grey chairs that seemed to occupy every room in the school.

There were already some people sitting there, three girls and a boy. One of the girls and the boy had their backs turned to the approaching party. Travis recognized Kanaya almost immediately. She was sitting next to a girl with long blonde hair and blue bangs covering one glasses-wearing eye. Said girl was talking, but stopped as they approached.

"Who's this?" she asked.

"That is Travis," Kanaya said.

The other two occupants turned in their seat. He didn't recognize them at first, but now saw it was Nepeta and Equius.

Karkat pointed at them. "That's Equius. That's Nepeta."

"I know."

"You do?"

Nepeta laughed. "Silly Karkitty! We're in the same chemistry class!"

"Right, chem. I forgot that you two couldn't get it into it last year."

Gamzee chuckled. "Met up with them when picking Tavbro up from class."

"Travis!" a voice called. He turned to see Feferi waving, dragging another person behind her.

Her bubbly smile immediately brightened the room slightly. She was wearing a fuchsia sweater and electric blue jeans with a yellow sash and her hair was in a loose bun. Somehow it worked.

The boy behind her seemed a lot less enthusiastic. He had on horn-rimmed glasses and a scowl, brown hair slicked back with one thick gold streak through the middle. His outfit could only be considered hipster: high-cut Converse, skinny jeans, oversized striped shirt with a purple scarf. there was a gold ring on his finger with a symbol Travis didn't recognize on it. The boy gave Travis a look of slight disdain.

"Eridan, come say hi!"

The boy, now identified as Eridan, sniffed a bit but didn't move. Feferi rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand, dragging him down to sit by her.

"Really Eridan!"

"Wwhatevver."

Travis noted Eridan had a bit of an accent. Kanaya explained under her breath, "Eridan had some speaking problems as a child, is what I've heard. His parents had him see a speech pathologist while he was enrolled in primary school. It's gotten better, but he still stutters on w's and always uses 'w' instead of 'v.' You'll get acquainted with it."

He didn't doubt it. Nepeta's cat quirks didn't seem that weird, and it'd only been a day.

Feferi was still focused on Eridan, shaking his shoulders somewhat comedically. "You can be so ridiculous sometimes, you know that?"

He humphed, but looked away with a bit of a tint to his cheeks.

"You finally got that, huh?" a new voice inquired.

The voice belonged to yet another boy. He was wearing jeans and a black dress shirt with a mustard sweater vest, had honey blond hair and thin glasses, and braces. His eyes were two different colors: one blue, one hazel. He too had a very distinct scowl on his face. Beside him was Aradia. They had their fingers interlaced with one another. So this must be her boyfriend.

"Sollux," the boy said, but because of his lisp it sounded more like 'Thollukss'.

"Travis," he said.

Sollux rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I figured."

The girl next to him smiled. "Hello again, Travis."

"Hi Aradia."

The bell rang.

Vriska sighed. "Are you guys going to sit down or what?"

"Shut up," muttered Karkat, but he sat towards the middle-right. Gamzee immediately flanked him on the left, leaving the very last space open for him. Aradia took a seat to Travis's left, right on the corner, and Sollux joined her so they were at the head of the long makeshift table. Eridan sat next to Vriska, wedging Feferi between him and Sollux. Nepeta and Equius scooted over so they were at the other end of the table. There was only one empty seat left, to Karkat's right. 

There wasn't conversation for a few seconds as most everyone pulled out their lunches. Eridan's lunch was accompanied by a battered copy of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

"I'm going to get lunch," Sollux announced. Aradia stood up with him, although she already had her packed food in front of her. "Anything edible today?"

Karkat snorted. "You think?"

"Pizza, a collection of extremely half-cooked burgers," Equius listed off, "Something like mashed potatoes in the hot foods. And the salad line, of course."

Sollux gestured down at the plastic container in front of the other. "Thalad again, Equiuth?"

He chewed and swallowed. "Yes. The lettuce isn't fresh, but the flavor is STRONG!"

His sudden exclamation made Travis jump in surprise. No one else was fazed by it. Equius saw the jerk and tugged at the neck of his shirt nervously.

"Forgive me, Travis. I forgot myself there."

"Um, okay. That's fine. It just shocked me a bit."

Nepeta giggled. "Equkitty here is a vegetarian. Which is like the oppurrsite of me."

Sollux and Aradia left for the lines. Travis dug around his book bag and found the slightly smushed paper bag. Gamzee, he noticed, wasn't eating.

"Are you gonna have your lunch?"

The other looked over with hazy eyes. "Huh? Oh, nah bro. I usually just kick back and do that after school."

"It's normal. Don't sweat it," Karkat grumbled.

Nepeta tossed Kanaya something from her coat pocket. A quick look revealed it to be a roll of clear thread. 

"Here. It's not very furrlexible, but I figured it would be better than nothing."

"Thank you. Are you sure don't need it anymore?"

"Nope! That's what I have leftover from my cosplay." 

Kanaya pulled out a handbag and put it in a side compartment. Eridan glanced over sideways, finally speaking to someone without a huffy tone. 

"Are you wworking on a neww project?"

"Yes. Just a small thing. I'm going to mail this to Rose. She and I are having a little competition now, trying to figure out who's hobby is the harder of the two. She will be sewing for the next few weeks, and I, in turn, will be knitting. We'll send photos of our finished projects at the end of the month." 

He actually looked interested. "That sounds like fun."

Kanaya frowned. "I'm not sure it is, actually. I'm absolute crap at it."

That got Eridan's lip to quirk up a bit. "Really? You?"

"Not everyone's gifted at every craft."

"Wwill you bring it for us to see wwhen it's done?"

She laughed. "Only if it's presentable. But yes, I'll show you Eridan." 

Sollux returned with a tray in his hands. Travis wasn't sure what to make of it. It was a coagulated mess of white, grey, brown, orange, and pale yellow. And then a carton of strawberry milk.

Sollux noticed the look and laughed humorlessly. "It'th popcorn chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, apparently."

"You're going to eat _that_?"

He seemed amused by Travis's slight disgust. Sollux shrugged. "What? The line was short. Think of thith as a fair warning not to forget to pack lunch."

Taking his seat, Sollux picked at the mess. Eridan smirked.

"You're really eating that, aren't you?"

"Yeah. Got a problem with that, athhole?"

Eridan closed his book and set it down next to his bag of celery. "Not really. I'm just wwondering wwhat it wwas that made you unable to pack anything to eat. You must've been vvery busy not to be able to pack evven a bag of chips."

"ED, is it too much to athk you to shut up?"

"Probably."

"Eridan--" Feferi warned, but she was ignored.

"Noww, tell me, wwhat exactly wwas wwrong?"

"Drop it, ED. I don't want to tell you." 

"Please," Aradia added.

"Wwhat? I'm just askin'."

"Mituna was having a fit thith morning, okay. And thinthe my parents are in India, I had to deal with it, okay?"

The tense silence that followed could only be described as awkward. No one had a comment to give. Sollux cleared his throat, standing again.

"I forgot to put money on my account. I'll be back." He leaned over to Aradia. "Sure you don't want anything?"

"No, thanks."

He left quickly.

"Who's Mituna?" Travis asked.

The reply was from Kanaya. "His brother. We don't talk about it."

"Oh, okay."

"Smooth," Vriska mocked, nudging Eridan with her elbow and wiggling her eyebrows at Travis.

"Shut up," the older boy said, glaring at his book intently. Though there was a slight flush around his neck and the tips of his ears.

Karkat reached over and patted his hand. "Look, you two just don't know the difference between playful banter and going at each others throats."

Aradia shook her head. "None of it's playful."

Nepeta was the one who interrupted this time.

"This is all too morbid. Why don't we talk about something more uplifting!"

"I second the motion," Equius remarked.

Kanaya sat up straighter and smiled. "The motion has been proposed and seconded. Any objections."

"None at all, sis," Gamzee murmured. Travis was surprised he was still awake.

"Speaking of court, where the hell is Terezi?" Karkat asked.

Aradia spoke up. "I saw her this morning. She had a doctor's appointment and left early, but she said she'd be back by lunch."

"Cool. I'll shoot her a text."

"So Travis," Vriska cooed as Karkat whipped out his phone again. "Tell us a bit more about yourself. And please make an effort to be something remotely uplifting, or we'll have to kick you out of court."

Travis blushed at Vriska's scrutiny. She had a strong air of confidence about herself that he couldn't really react to it without stuttering a bit.

"Um, w-well, there's nothing much to say, about me. I'm, pretty boring."

She laughed. "Fine. Let's start simple then. Are you a virgin?"

Equius choked violently on his milk, causing a bit of panic at the table. Nepeta was patting his back while some of the people in the splash zone had stood up and backed away, knocking their chairs over in the process. Aradia left the table, only to come back from the lunch line with napkins.

"Here," she said, handing one to Equius.

He flushed scarlet before taking it from her. "Thank you."

Kanaya, meanwhile, was chastising Vriska for being rude, who was laughing her ass off.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" 

"Yes. And I know you know better than that, Vriska."

"Geeeeeeeez Kanaya, it was just a joke. I don't care who he's banged."

Equius was still hacking a bit, his face brilliantly red. Gamzee was slumped forward on the table in a half-sleeping position, which was pretty much how he sat at any table. Feferi was showing concern for a very red Travis. Eridan pointedly ignored everyone, nose buried in his copy of Harry Potter.

It was Karkat who broke.

"WILL EVERYONE SHUT THE FUCK UP FOR TWO MINUTES AND STOP MAKING FOOLS OF THEMSELVES?!"

The entire cafeteria fell silent, staring at Karkat. He realized this and sat down heavily, hands leaving the table to cross over his chest.

Sollux returned a moment later, snickering. "What the hell did I miss, KK?"

There were a few smirks around the table. Karkat glared at all the offenders before turning back to Sollux. "Nothing. And don't you fucking dare ask me to elaborate."

"Vvriska asked the neww kid about his vvirginity."

"Eridan!" Feferi intergected.

"Wwhat? It's true."

"Control you accent," Sollux muttered.

Eridan's eyes narrowed, looking over his book and his glasses. "Make me. Or better yet, control you lisp."

"You two are being so fucking stupid," Karkat spat. "You know that, right?"

"Shut up, Kar."

"Hate furrlurting?"

"Nepeta," Equius scolded.

"For once I agree with him," said Sollux. "Eveyone. Shut up."

Then there was a sudden voice from behind Travis.

"You guys are so loud I could hear you from my house, you know. And that's not a pleasant thought."

"Geez, look who finally decided to fucking show up to lunch," Karkat said, "You know you're always the last one here, right? Lunch is about to end."

The newcomer, a ginger wearing a lot of teal and red glasses, huffed irritably. "Sorry I like navigating empty halls more than crowded ones, Karkat. Too bad the lunch rooms can't be that empty too." 

"And you decided not to mention that you had a doctor's appointment. I was texting you all morning and up until before lunch and you failed to mention that."

"What? It's not like your in charge of my life. Geez." She sniffed. "It smells ghastly in here. What is that awful pungent brown I detect."

"It's thuppothed to be chicken with mashed potatoes, but it just lookth like thomething thomeone threw up."

She turned towards Sollux. Sarcasm practically dripped off her voice like honey. "What a lovely description. It sounds so delicious."

"You know it fucking isn't," Karkat muttered.

It was then that Travis noticed the girl had a white cane with red on the ends. One used by blind people. So this was Terezi. Travis remembered her name begin mentioned at some point or another by both Karkat and Gamzee.

"You gonna buy lunch or what?" Vriska asked.

Terezi's nose crinkled. "Believe it or not, I'll pass."

Karkat glanced down at his sandwich, then turned back to the blind girl. "Do you want the other half of my lunch. It's turkey and lettuce on wheat."

"Any mayonnaise?"

"Yeah. And tomatoes."

She grinned. "Why the hell not?"

She made her way over to where there was an empty seat. Perhaps that was where Terezi always sat. It would explain why she was so comfortable navigating there, Travis thought. Her cane hit the edge of Travis's wheelchair, clanging loudly. Terezi frowned.

"Well well well, this is a new sound. What could this be?"

Her hand darted out quickly, bumping into the back of Travis's neck. Nimble fingers stroked through his hair.

"No one I know."

"That," Kanaya said quickly, "is Travis."

"So he's the guy we found that one day. I remember now!" She stuck her cane under her arm and held out her hand. "I'm Terezi."

"Travis." He took it firmly.

The split second after Travis released Terezi's hand it latched onto his wrist. She took a step forward as the hand travelled up his arm to his shoulder.

"Um…?"

"Sorry, I forgot to ask. Do you mind? I want to know what you look like."

"Oh! No, n-not at all."

"Perfect."

Travis closed his eyes as Terezi's fingers brushed up his cheeks and dangerously close to his eyes. Her nails were painted black, he noted. Soft pads mapped out his cheekbones, nose, forehead, mouth. Terezi's hands left and she grinned.

"Thanks for letting me see you."

He smiled back sheepishly, then remembered she couldn't see him. "Um, yeah. No problem."

"Hey, are you Hispanic?"

"I, um, how did you know?"

Vriska suddenly laughed loudly. "Really, Terezi? What, did his fart smell like tacos or something? Someone told you that!"

"I, um, didn't--"

The blonde huffed and cut him off.

"Leave it, new kid. It was just a joke. Jeez." She turned back to Terezi, grinning wickedly. "You were saying?"

Terezi frowned. "Maybe they did, maybe they didn't. Not like I'm going to tell you."

Vriska _tsk_ ed and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Whatever."

She leaned down to Travis's ear. "Just for the record, I was guessing. You seemed like one."

Terezi stood up straight and walked to where Karkat was sitting. She didn't even hesitate, arm reaching out to grab the empty chair and drag it forward enough to squeeze in next to the grumpy teen. He handed her the sandwich.

"Here."

Wordlessly, Terezi began munching on it. "It's pretty good."

"Surprisingly, my dad actually went out and bought fresh food."

Travis watched them. The way Karkat softened his attitude next to Terezi was actually quite interesting. Not to mention the redhead herself. She seemed to be quite the character.

As if feeling his scrutiny, Terezi suddenly said, "Go on. Ask."

"What?"

Terezi's face turned in Travis's general direction. "I know you're probably wondering how I got blind, if I've been blind my whole life, et cetera. Just ask away. I don't mind."

Travis didn't. Instead, he asked, "How do you text, and type on Pesterchum, if you're, you know, blind?"

That was definitely not what the girl was expecting. She seemed quite shocked. "Excuse me?"

"Rose showed me one of the Pesterlogs, when everyone was talking about me. And, I was thinking, you typed on it too. And actually responded to people. How? If you're blind, you can't really use a computer, right?"

There was a moment of silence. Travis thought perhaps he angered her in some way. Then Terezi's face broke into a huge grin.

"Not bad, new kid. I like that question!"

Vriska rolled her eyes, but nothing was said.

Terezi began to explain. "So basically after the unfortunate demise of my vision, I was really out of the loop because everyone texted. But then Equius and Sollux were able to design a program during their CompSci course last year that would read texts for me. It's not the same as speaking to everyone, but it's really useful."

"Bathically we were able to create a durable 3G-powered devithe that, with a plug-in earpiece, would read the logs as if the perthon were actually thpeaking," said Sollux. "The program interpreths and translateth everyone'th typing quirkth and can imitate thome of our voitheth. I did the programming thectionth and built the hard drive. Equiuth actually built the damn thing."

Equius shook his head slightly. "It wasn't just me. Nepeta helped quite a bit with the more delicate parts."

"Aw, Equius! You did most of it. You designed it! Don't be so modest!"

"If you insist." He mopped his brow and cleared his throat. "The device we built is extremely durable. It has no screen, but a fully functioning keyboard in brail. It's a very STRONG machine we built."

"And it works," said Terezi. "So now you know how I get around with that. Here, this is what it looks like."

The device literally looked like a tablet, with nothing but a keyboard. There were some buttons on the sides with different colors on them. Karkat quickly explained it. 

"Each button is a speed-dial to our cell phones and Pesterchums. See how there's one on top of the other. The top one is Pesterchum, the bottom our phones. We pre-set them so all Terezi has to do is click it and it announces who the message is being sent to."

She spoke up. "It took a while to get used to typing blind, not to mention I kept sending messages to the wrong people, but after a while it's not so bad."

Travis asked, "Is it just your friends saved on that device? Not your parents?"

"TracFone. They're on speed dial here if I really need to talk to them."

"Soooooooollux!" Vriska whined, dragging their attention away from Terezi back to her.

Sollux definitely didn't look pleased. "What now?"

She slid her laptop over to him. "I need you to hack the school WiFi again."

"You actually get a connection here?" Equius asked.

"Um, yeah? Remember, I had you guys update the system. Get with the program. Anyway, help me out Captor."

"Why?" Sollux asked, not looking up from his lunch.

"Because I have a fencing lesson tonight and I don't have time to upload my new gaming video on YouTube before it. So it would really help if I could get it up now."

"How polite," he muttered, but Sollux smirked as he took the laptop and easily punched in her password without looking at the keyboard. Aradia glanced over his shoulder as he began typing furiously. It was probably lines of code.

He clicked enter twice and leaned back, crossing his arms. "Give it a few theconds."

The cafeteria computers suddenly flashed twice and powered off completely. Sollux glanced around at his handiwork.

"You think after theventeen times they would get a better thythtem."

Travis stared, wide-eyed. "Wow."

Aradia noticed and smiled at him. "Sollux has a gift with computers."

"Thpeaking of which, Vrithka, you have ten minutes before the thchool adminithtration figures it out and restarts the thing. I thuggetht going thomewhere without any cameras."

"Right. I'll be back in eight."

"Was that truly necessary?" Kanaya asked after Vriska ran off to the bathroom.

Sollux shrugged. "Probably not."

Travis, meanwhile, was still in shock. "Wait, you hacked the school security system, and shut it down, seventeen times?"

He nodded.

Feferi laughed. "Sollux thinks it's reely exciting to do it. They never caught him because he somehow found a way to make the tracer go back to a cell tower in Nebraska."

"Iowa, actually. I don't want it to seem too impossible. There are actually people in Iowa."

They laughed a bit. Travis smiled. "That's so cool."

"Wwoww. So cool. Look howw jealous I am."

"Dick," muttered Sollux.

"I heard that!"

"Anyway," Feferi interrupted, glaring at Eridan, "I thought I should mention something pertaining to us! Eridan and I are the captains of the swim team. You should totally come to one of our meets before the season ends! The next four are at home, because the local fitness center got a new pool recently.

"And I'm speaking to all of you!" she added. "No one's come to one yet!"

"It's because none of them have been at home yet, FF."

"Well, they are now, so I expect you to be there!"

Terezi fake-rolled her eyes. "And what if we don't want to go to some sports event?"

"You! Shoosh!" Karkat shouted, poking her in the side.

She acted insulted, putting a hand to her mouth. "What's this? Are you commanding me? With what, your leaderly authority?"

"Yes, in fact, I am."

"Bell's about to ring," Eridan said, standing. "I'm going to go to my locker."

"And you!" Karkat grabbed Eridan's sleeve and tugged him closer. "When were we meeting up again?"

"Tomorrow night. Seven. Dinner and a movie?" 

"Right. See you later."

"Bye Kar. And thanks."

Karkat nodded sagely and Eridan left.

"Ooooooooh, a daaaaaaaate~"

"No it's not, spiderbitch!"

Vriska rolled her eyes as she came back and kicked back in her seat. "I swear, swimmer boy there has more problems on his plate than a prepubescent girl going through her first love rejection. And that's a lot."

"I really don't get how you can put up with his shit, KK," Sollux mused. "I mean, he practically dumpth all his problems on you and FF."

"Gossip buddies!" Terezi shouted, slugging Karkat with a fist. She also laughed loudly in a way that could only be defined as cackling.

"Yeah yeah, he's an assprick, alright? I just don't hate him as much as you seem to, Sollux."

Sollux shrugged. "Whatever. Thucks to be you."

True to Eridan's word, the bell rang then and a cacophonous combination of raised voiced and screeching chairs brought everyone out of the lunch haze. Everyone said their respective goodbyes before separating off to different corners of the school.

"So, what d'ya think of lunch?" Gamzee asked, finally waking up from his nap at the sudden noise.

"It was…fun." Even Travis was shocked by what he was saying. And he was being genuine. He was still laughing, and a smile was on his face. "I really like the others. They were, really nice."

"Of course they were! All of them are chill motherfuckers!"

"I think, I'll keep sitting there."

"Really bro?" Gamzee seemed excited.

"Um, yeah. I probably won't be making any more friends, so I want to, um, stay?"

"That's so many shades of wicked!"

Terezi heard this and smiled. "Looks like we'll have to christen him with a new name."

"Really Terezi? He just got here!"

"Yeah, and he's the first person to willingly deal with everyone's bullshit in one day."

Karkat added, "And didn't we agree we'd make sure that everyone agreed with this? Not everyone's here, in case you didn't hear them leave."

Terezi made the eye-rolling motion again. "I'm not deaf, idiot. Besides, I think we can make an exception here."

"Um, what are you guys talking about?"

"We'll tell you on the way over, brother."

Gamzee got behind Travis and began to push him out of the now-empty cafeteria. Karkat followed close behind, Terezi holding onto his arm, her cane shortened so it hung around her wrist comfortably. She spoke as they walked.

"So, since you're kinda officially a member of our group, it's time to bestow upon you your very own nickname!"

Travis was confused. "A nickname? Why?"

"Because all of us have them, fuckwad. I thought you noticed that by now."

"I have."

"Great!" said Gamzee. "Then it's time! Remember how I've been callin' you 'Tavbro' this whole time?" 

"Yeah."

"Well, that's your name now."

"No it's not!" Karkat exclaimed. "That's what you'll call him, because you call everyone bro and sis."

Terezi said, "It's actually Tavros."

"Tavros?"

"It means bull in Greek. Aradia and I came up with it. We have a pattern: a nickname for each person's astrological sign that's six letters."

"Why six?"

"Well, Eridan, Sollux, and Feferi? Those are their actual names. Their parents are really weird. But they have some really awesome names so we though we should go along with it too. Their names happen to have six letters, and we were able to find ways to indirectly connect them to their zodiacs too. So we did our best. Took a couple of months apiece." She stopped talking. "Karkat, this isn't the way to the stairs." 

"We're taking the elevator so we can walk with Travis."

"Won't you guys be late for Spanish?"

"Mr. Cara's cool about that shit. Don't sweat it."

Travis handed Gamzee the elevator key. "So you guys already made one for a Taurus?"

"Sure thing, brother."

"We came up with Tavros in case we did run into a Taurus who wasn't too freaked out by our group of misfit fuckups who wanted to stay. You can imagine how fucking shocked we were when Gamzee and I found out you were a Taurus that one day in the hospital."

"It was a motherfuckin' miracle, I'll tell you that."

The four of them got in the elevator and started talking about their nicknames. 

"Terezi is actually the Albanian word for balance, and since the symbol of Libra, my sign, is the scale. It's all about balance. And I found out after I picked it that it could kinda refer to Tiresias."

"The blind prophet?" Travis said.

"You know Greek literature?"

"I took a free online class once."

"Cool."

Karkat continued. "Karkata is the Sanskrit equivalent of Cancer. So I took the last letter off."

"I thought for sure it was for Karkinos," he replied. "You know, from Heracles? The giant crab?"

Gamzee laughed. "Damn, that shit works out like a miracle too!"

"I…honestly, I've been going by Karkat for two years and I never realized that."

They got to a classroom that was obviously math. Terezi let go of Karkat's arm and extended her cane with the flick of a wrist.

"Bye everyone!"

"Bye."

"Later sis!"

"See ya after school, Terezi."

"Yeah Karkat."

The three headed back to the elevator.

Travis asked. "So what about you, Gamzee?"

"What about me?"

"How did you choose your name?"

"Actually, that's a whole 'nother miracle up in there. My last name just happened to be the motherfuckin' counterpart of Capricorn in Sanskrit."

"And Gamzee?"

"It means dimples in Turkish. 'Cuz I got those."

He smiled to reveal them. It was hard to make out with the face paint, but Travis could still see them.

They barely made it to Spanish in time, the three of them having to wait for the elevator back downstairs. The bell was ringing as they skimmed in.

"Late!" the teacher cried loudly. He was standing by the chalkboard, writing something in Spanish. He didn't even bother looking over at them.

"Liar!" Karkat retorted immediately.

Their teacher turned around and smiled. "Fine. But you know the rules as well as anyone--"

"'You must be in your seat by the time the bell rings or you're late,'" Karkat and Gamzee said in unison as they took their seats. The room was set up into groups of four, those two the only ones at that specific one. Gamzee removed a chair so Travis could sit.

Mr. Cara barely noticed; he was still talking (with a rich Spanish accent), in fact. "Therefore, you both are late."

Gamzee pointed to Travis. "Well Mr. Cara, we had to escort this motherfucker here. A trio now!"

 _"Aye me, a new student!"_ he exclaimed, finally turning around. "You are new, right?"

 _"I am,"_ he replied.

 _"Well then, new student, could you please introduce yourself to the class, tell us where you're from, a few of your hobbies, your favorite color, food, and day of the week."_ Then, as an afterthought, _"And explain why."_

This was obviously one of the teachers who would speak in Spanish to purposely confuse others. Thankfully, Travis got it. He decided to play along, smiling.

 _"In Spanish?"_ he asked.

A somewhat dismissive hand wave. _"Yes yes, in Spanish."_

"O-okay, then." Travis cleared his throat. _"H-hello. My name is Travis Gabriel Martinez. I'm from--"_

"Louder!"

 _"I'm from Los Angeles, and I moved in a month ago with a fellow classmate. I love horseback riding and gardening because I like being outside in the fresh air. My favorite color is brown, like peanut butter. I like peanut butter, I guess. I also like earth brown and the reddish clay brown as well. That was because of pottery and gardening, like I mentioned. My favorite food is…hmm."_ He thought for a bit. _"I really like paella. My mother would always make paella. And I like Tuesdays. I'm not sure why."_

He decided not to mention that was the day their neighborhood food bank was open.

"Enough!" said Mr. Cara. "Enough. It's too much. You've overwhelmed us all!"

The overdramatic acting/clutching of his heart caused the class to burst into laughter. Travis joined them. Mr. Cara laughed a bit too, perching himself on his desk and grabbing the clipboard, taking attendance. 

 _"Based on your accent, I take it you're from Latin America, not Spain,"_ he said as he began checking off names.

_"Yes. My family is from Mexico, señor."_

_"Ah, I see."_ He smiled. _"Welcome. My name is Mr. Cara, but all my students call me Antonio. If not, no bonus points on their tests! And they get an F for the day."_  

Travis laughed a bit, much to everyone else's confusion. One kid piped up, "Why's he even in Spanish?"

There was collective laughter at that. Mr. Cara answered almost immediately.

"Simple. He needs to learn the proper Spanish accent. No more of that wishy-washy Mexican!"

Even Travis joined in with the laughter. Mr. Cara chuckled before looking down at his new roster.

"Your name is Travis, _si_? Any nicknames? A Spanish name, maybe?"

"Actually," he said quietly, "I prefer the nickname Tavros."

"Tavros?"

The teacher looked confused for a second, but then his eyes landed on Gamzee and Karkat and he then gave Travis a knowing smile. Travis blushed a little, but when he glanced over his eyes met Gamzee's. They paused there for a second before the Makara computed what had just happened. His face eased into an easy grin. Travis found himself returning it.

School wasn't so bad after all.

He had another good surprise seeing Nepeta and Equius in art the next period too. And Terezi during study hall at the end of the day.

For once, school was good again. Just like when he was a kid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooray, it only took 7 chapters to officially make Travis Tavros! And meet everyone. :D  
> And it literally took me until this chapter to realize I'd never had Gamzee's face painted. (ouch D:)  
> Now, I know every school is set up differently, so here's what I did with this one.  
> All the name things were taken off the Homestuck Wikia page. I tried to make them somewhat realistic, so bear with. Typing quirks are seriously hard, especially Sollux. 
> 
> And now the timeline ('cuz it's been awhile):
> 
>  
> 
> _12/15/13 - Tavros found in Portland, all the kids take him to the ER, meets Gamzee and Karkat_  
>  _12/19/13 - Gamzee and Karkat come back to visit, agreed that Tavros will be staying at Gamzee's house until further developments_  
>  _12/23/13 - Kanaya drives the three to Alternia, Tavros moves in_  
>  _12/24/13 - Christmas Eve, meet Mr. Makara, Tavros calls home_  
>  _12/25/13 - Gamzee's birthday (Tavros stays home) and Christmas dinner_  
>  _12/28/13 - shopping with Kanaya, Rose, and Feferi_  
>  _01/10/14 - end of exam week_  
>  _01/12/14 - Sunday in downtown Alternia_  
>  _01/13/14 - first day of school, meets everyone; first time he's called "Tavros"_
> 
> See you all next time!  
> -pp


	8. Phantoms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Nothing ever becomes real till it is experienced"  
> \--John Keats

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Sorry for the delay! It's explained at the end of the chapter!_

"Later then, Tavros!"

"Yeah. Bye Terezi."

The blind girl grinned his way before making her way to the other side of the school, where Karkat was waiting to walk her home. Well, more like with her considering how well she adjusted to day-to-day life despite her handicap. Besides, the two lived only a block away from each other.

The young Hispanic took a moment to reflect as he left the school. It seemed like time had flown by. Before he knew it, Travis had finished his first full week of school. No, not Travis anymore--he was Tavros now.

Tavros.

The name still felt funny on his own tongue, but was becoming really natural when others called him that. It was like it was meant to be, in a way. A fresh name for a fresh start. He reacted to it when people said it now. Especially his new friends.

Friends.

That was but another strange word in his mouth. It seemed to fumble every time he said it to himself, staring in the mirror.

Tavros was learning a lot about everyone. Like the fact that they'd all known each other (for the most part) since elementary school, and despite having complicated love-hate relationships always found a way to meet up at least every other weekend. All eleven of them. If not, at least a small group would be doing something during their free time.

And speaking of friends...

Feferi pulled up near the entrance in her car, honking. Tavros wheeled over as she popped the backseat door open. He clambered in and pushed aside the swim bags as she got his wheelchair into the trunk.

"Ready for your first swim meet?" Feferi asked as she got back in.

"I guess so."

"Just guess so? Come on Tavros, this is so exciting! You should be more excited for it! They're super fun! I bet you'll have an amazing time!"

"Thanks," he replied, smiling.

Eridan, who was sitting in the passenger seat silently, sniffed a bit. "Don't get your hopes too high. They're long and the 500 is the most awwful thing to have to sit through. Besides, I heard the other school's best girl swwims a 7:10 or something. It'll take forevver since they have three of them."

"Look Eridan, you should be happy for her!" Feferi interrupted indignantly. "I heard that girl's only a freshminnow. My first 500 was about a 6:34 anyway."

"But you're much better noww!"

"Now. Four years of training, Eridan. Think of it like that."

Eridan was adamant. "And last meet you swwam a 5:07! And even you wwere saying that wwas bad for you by, like, fifteen seconds at least!"

"Oh my cod Eridan, not everyone is as good as us, okay? We're captains for a reason!"

"That's wwhat I've been saying all season!"

"Do you even hear yourself now? How pretentious that sounds?"

"Wwhat the hell's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"You know full whale what!"

"You're really putting a fish pun in now? _Now?_ "

"So what events do you swim?" Tavros asked quickly as the conversation went south. With the seething silence he was afraid they didn't hear him at first, until Eridan replied.

"The IM, and the 100 free. But only for today. Usually I swim 100 fly."

"Our usual free swimmer is out with the flu," explained Feferi. "And because we actually have enough people who want to swim fly, we've decided to stick with that until he's back and fit."

"I also swim in the IM relay for fly, and the 400 free relay. Anchor."

"I'm more of a distance swimmer," said Feferi, her tone slowly becoming brighter. "The 200 and the 500. I also swim the same relays as Eridan, but I'm the first person for both. Backstroke in the IM, and starter for the 4-free. Some schools don't have trained distance swimmers, so I swim a 100 back instead when that happens."

"Okay."

With the lack of response, Eridan turned to look at him. "Did you evven understand that?"

"What exactly is the IM?" he asked, "I don't know anything about swimming, so…"

"Really? That's terribubble! We need to educate you immediately!"

Eridan sighed. "I'll explain it. Just drive wwithout killin' us." He turned back to Tavros. "Do you knoww any of the strokes?"

"Not really…"

"There are four: butterfly, breaststroke, backstroke, and front crawwl, but almost everyone calls it freestyle. Front crawwl's wwhat most people knoww. It's this one." He demonstrated with his arms. Tavros nodded.

"I know that one. And backstroke."

"Good. I don't wwanna attempt that one in a car."

Tavros giggled a bit and Eridan's face quirked up into the barest of smirks.

"Right. The breaststroke is harder to explain. Here."

He pulled out his iPhone and quickly looked up something, handing it to Tavros. It was a basic diagram that demonstrated the movements.

"So, it's kinda like a froggy kick?"

"Kinda. Again, it's hard to explain. Wwatch wwhen I swwim it you can see wwhat it is, exactly. And then there's the fly. It's evven more ridiculous looking than the breaststroke. It utilizes the dolphin kick, so it wworks your abs. Like so." 

It did look pretty ridiculous, especially in a car. Eridan somehow managed to almost choke himself with the seatbelt. After pulling over and making sure everyone was okay they finished the journey to the pool without the earlier drama. Eridan had slipped his headphones over his ears and had his eyes closed, leaning back slightly. Feferi, the more hospitable of the two, chatted with Tavros about the others at the table.

"You and Terezi seem to becoming good friends."

"We are. She's in my study hall eight period. And Nepeta's in my chemistry and art classes."

"Oh, that's wonderful! They're a good school of fish." She smiled. "Have you talked to Aradia at all?"

"No, not yet. Why?"

"Oh, nofin reely. She's been really good friends with Terezi since elementary school. They role-play together, I think it's called lorping or somefin?"

"LARPing." The word came out of Tavros's mouth before he could think. He blushed a bit. "Live action role-playing. My brother and I were really into it when we were kids."

"You should talk to her about it. I'm sure she'd love it! I think they still have their old costumes and everything. They used to do it all the time with Vriska and sometimes Eridan over here."

The teen looked up, then flicked his gaze back down to his iPod.

"Yeah. Back in middle school," was all he said.

Tavros asked, "With Vriska too?"

Feferi looked behind her, noting his nervous tone. "Don't concern yourself too much about Vriska. She can be a bit unapproachable at first, but once you see her good side you'll understand."

Tavros somehow doubted he would ever get on her good side, but he murmured his agreement and went with it.

"So…how did you get into swimming?"

Even Eridan wanted to answer that question. Feferi began as he stopped his music.

"My family grew up near the beach. I lived in Hawaii for a spell, and spent a lot of my time swimming and surfing. Then I moved to Florida, and then here. It was the first time I was away from the water. So I joined the swim team to stay close to home."

"I wwas sevven. I wwent swwimin wwith my family." Eridan pulled at the collar of his shirt. "Actually, I almost drowwned then."

"Really?"

"Yeah. My brother Cro savved me. After that, my dad made sure it wwouldn't happen again. He had me enrolled in swwim lessons a month later."

Tavros then asked, "So how do you know who wins the meet?"

"Point system. Each evvent, first place is 6 points, second is 4, third is 2 and fourth is 1. Or something like that. Basically the team wwith the most points wwins."

Eridan pointed out the window.

"Wwe're here."

The YMCA was a large center with a sloping parking lot. It was mostly made of glass. Tavros could see the lights shining through. Eridan got his wheelchair from the trunk. Tavros let them leave their swim bags in his lap as they lead him in. The front entrance was carpeted, and there was a front desk. The woman behind it looked up and waved them in with a smile.

"Hey guys! Good to see you."

"Hey Carrie. Anyfin new?"

"Same old, same old." She turned to Tavros. "New friend?"

"Just movved here a month ago," replied Eridan.

She nodded. "Well, the coaches just came in. Warm-ups in fifteen minutes, meet in an hour and a half."

"Thanks Carrie!"

"She works here?" Tavros asked as they left.

"Yep! As long as it's been here. Which isn't that long, actually."

"Don't you guys have to take a bus or something?"

"Technically no, because wwe're the home team. Even though the fitness center is about fifteen minutes away."

They turned down the corner and went down a hall with a strong smell of chlorine in the air. Then through a door.

"We're early," Eridan stated, taking his bag.

Tavros hadn't noticed that the two were wearing their warmups until then. They were adidas jackets and pants, black with gold lines going down the sides of the pants. The jackets had a bold fuchsia swirl on the chest. They both also had large bags which were considerably heavy.

"What do you even carry in there?"

"What, this?" Feferi asked. "Oh, you know, essentials. Spare suits, hoodies, a couple of towels, food, all of our soaps and shampoos, goggles, swim caps, and my slides."

She pulled out the flip-flops then. "I'll probably need them in a moment."

As if on her word, two coaches appeared. Feferi joined them quickly. One was a middle-aged woman, the other a young man. They both fell into a quick conversation with her, pointing to a few of the lanes and murmuring.

Feferi pulled her long hair up into a quick ponytail after they left. "We have to get warmed up in a couple of minutes. The rest of the team should be here soon."

"Go for it."

Eridan nodded. "So are wwe goin' to wwait until evveryone else gets here, or…?"

"I wanna test the waters first."

"Right. I'll join you."

She turned to Tavros. "Sorry you have to sit around for so long!"

"Oh no, it's okay. I don't mind. I have math homework to do anyway."

Eridan finally smiled a bit. "Yeah, Prelog can be a bit of a bitch."

Feferi smacked him in the arm, but by her smile both boys knew it was playful. She waved and went off to the girl's locker room. Eridan sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Wwell, I havve to get wwarmed up. You sure you don't mind wwaitin'?"

Tavros shook his head again. He had to say that was probably the nicest Eridan had been since he'd met the pompous teen.

"Right. If you need a ride home, see us after the meet."

Once Eridan left too, Tavros settled at the edge of the stands. He pulled out his math textbook and flipped to page 284 where a notebook marked it. He was soon immersed in the numbers. It wasn't that he liked math so much, but Tavros found it was a good way to burn time. He didn't even notice the others arriving in their constant trickle.

He was a bit distracted when the swimmers got in. There were twenty girls and sixteen boys, and the two coaches. They were all wearing black suits with fuchsia and gold trim: the school colors. The swimmers stretched, divided themselves into the six lanes. Their coaches went to each lane, giving instructions before stationing themselves on the sidelines.

Tavros watched as they all began their warm-ups. He'd never been a good swimmer before, and now he had no idea how he would fare in water now, but seeing them make it looks so easy was incredible. Lane one was the closest to Tavros. He could see they weren't very experienced. But lane six was an entirely different story.

Feferi lead, Eridan close behind her. They swam in almost-perfect sync, breathing every four strokes. The water rippled lightly as they flip turned. He sat, mesmerized.

Swimming was a beautiful thing.

Tavros eventually finished his homework, including the English reading, by the time the other team arrived. They wore all red, from their warmups and hoodies all the way to their suits and swim caps. They got in the pool after some stretches, while the Alternian team got out and relaxed. Tavros saw Feferi talking to the coaches and Eridan talking to some underclassmen while munching on a granola bar.

"Excuse me."

He looked up and saw a large man with his three kids. They were staring pointedly at the walkway which he was completely blocking. The man looked annoyed at first, but his expression softened a bit when he saw Tavros's legs.

"Oh, sorry."

"No, you're fine."

Tavros backed up a bit, letting the man pass him. Within a few minutes more people started filing in. He soon found he had to leave the area altogether because people weren't able to maneuver around him. The sympathetic looks didn't help at all.

He sat awkwardly on the end, unsure how to get through. At least there was a handicap ramp so he could get above the pool level. Still, the view wasn't great.

"Tavros?"

Tavros looked up and immediately recognized the speaker. "Nepeta?"

"Hi~" she shrieked as she pounce-tackled him, laughing. "I didn't expect to run into you here! What a surpurrise!"

"Nepeta, I request that you please refrain from attacking people in public, even if said people are friends."

Nepeta turned to her friend and pouted. "Equius, you're not fun at all!"

Equius just frowned, crossing his arms. "One shouldn't be 'pounce-tackling' friends, as you so put it, when they aren't expecting it. It's not only foolish, but rude as well."

She just stuck her tongue out at him. "Tavros doesn't mind, do you Tavros?"

"Pardon her, please."

"Hi Equius," Tavros said. "And there's no need to be, so formal. Nepeta didn't do anything bad. I don't mind."

She grinned. "See?"

Equius looked around slowly. "Would you like to sit higher up? There shouldn't be too many people here today. We could leave your wheelchair in the coaches' office."

"I-ah, what?"

Nepeta laughed and waved at Equius to get Tavros.

"Silly, we can't see anything from here! And Equitty is so 'exceptionally STRONG!'"

She imitated him so terribly that Equius blushed and Tavros laughed. Still, the tall teen picked Tavros up and carried him to the highest bleacher, while Nepeta (who herself was quite strong as well) carried the wheelchair over to the office over her head, skipping as she did so with Tavros's book bag slung over her shoulder. They settled in the middle of the top row, Tavros on one side of Equius with Nepeta on the other.

"I'm so happy you were able to come out as see our furends!"

Tavros nodded. "Yeah. I didn't realize swimming looked so cool. They look so graceful. And fast."

Equius added, "Part of that is because those two are so good."

"How good?"

"Some of the best in the state, actually."

Tavros blanched a bit. "What?"

"Didn't Eridan brag about it?" Nepeta asked. "Both he and Feferi are state swimmers!"

"R-really? That good?"

"Mmmhmm! They both made it last year. Feferi for the 500 and Eridan for the IM. Feferi also swam in nationals."

"And Eridan?"

"Unfortunately," Equius said, "he was one place short of moving on then. By just two seconds, if I recall correctly."

Nepeta hummed in agreement. "He was really down then. Nothing could cheer him up, and I think he might've cried quite a bit. But then he went to Karkitty's house and things got better!"

That was something Tavros had a hard time believing. "Really?"

"He and Karkat are surprisingly good friends."

"Huh." Looks like you did learn something every day.

The three of them sat for a bit, Nepeta getting up to buy them all water. By then a lot of the swimmers were out of the water. Some of them were obviously loitering, probably waiting for a long time for their events. Others were already crowding around the starting blocks, doing last stretches. The officials were checking that everything worked. It seemed everything was set.

Tavros was grateful when his friend returned with three cold bottles. He didn't realize how hot it was until he took the first sip, then proceeded to drain half of it. Nepeta was smiling at him. Equius stared, then turned away. He sipped his quite daintily for such a big guy.

"Looks like they're ready," he said.

Nodding, Tavros capped the rest of his water. The girl sat down, grinning.

"Ready?"

"I'm, not sure," he replied honestly. "I heard from Eridan they're long and pretty boring."

Nepeta snorted. "Ha! Don't listen to a word that silly grumpy catfish has to say! They actually go by faster than you think. Sure, some of the events are long, but the energy makes up fur it. Think of it like a football game. Sometimes they're really slow, but sometimes you blink and they're all over!"

Equius glanced down at his watch. "It should be starting any moment now."

"Do you think they'll do a cheer today?" asked the other.

"Probably. Eridan leads them, after all. It's always an exclusive thing."

"Better than when he golfs."

Equius shook his head in a disgruntled manner. "We should respect the fact that he plays such a well-deserving game with his family name. Golf is of high class and very fitting."

"Pfft. It's a game for old men, and you know it."

"It is not."

"Yes it is!"

"No."

"Yes."

"No.'

"Ye~s."

"Nepeta…"

She giggled and slugged him in the shoulder. "I'm just teasing."

"I know, but still."

A fake-pout. "I get it. Equkitty doesn't get the pawsitively boring part of golf. He only ever sees the stratification of income."

"You're one to talk, considering your habitual hunting trips with your father. If anything, I thought you would understand the exceptional skill of patience."

"Yeah, but hunting venison to eat is difurrent than hitting a ball with a metal stick."

Tavros then noticed something on the pool deck. He pointed. "What's happening now?"

The other two turned towards it. Nepeta immediately dropped her act.

"Oh, they're starting the cheer!"

The away team went first, all circling up and having a quick chant that involved their school name, a "red white, go fight" type.

"Pep talk first," Nepeta said, pointing.

The Alternian swim team circled up, arms over each others' shoulders. Eridan was in the middle of the circle, pacing back and forth, talking. Tavros couldn't make out any of the words, but he saw some smiles and snickers light up around the circle. Eridan stopped talking after a while. He crouched down a bit, and the team followed. They all leaned to the right, then the left, a slow sound building.

"ooooooooOOOOOO **OOOOOOOOO"**

Then they began to shout. It must've been a very intricate cheer, for Tavros didn't catch a single word. Though he was positive he heard something about shooting a whale in it. At the end they all broke the circle with clapping and cheering, gathering closer. A group of girls and guys broke away and headed over to the starting blocks the moment it was done, Eridan and Feferi included. The same was done for the other team.

There was a high-pitched whine of a microphone turning on. After it'd passed, a voice came over the intercom.

_"Hello, and welcome to tonight's swim meet between the Alterni--"_

Another ear-splitting sound. Equius grumbled, "They should replace that thing. This is a new building."

"But with old equipment," Nepeta added.

_"Sorry about that. At this time if you could please stand and remove your hats for the playing of our national anthem."_

Everyone stood (spare Tavros) as a very bad recording was played. It ended and people rushed to seat themselves again.

 _"Thank you. We will be starting now. Coaches, please report to the starting blocks."_ The mic went dead. A minute later, the voice came back on after another earsplitting screech. _"Event One, the girl's 200 Medley Relay."_

"There she is!" Nepeta suddenly stood up and shouted, "YEAH! GO FEFERI! WHOO!!!"

Equius grabbed her wrist and dragged her back down. Laughter followed them. "Nepeta, please!"

"What? I was just cheering a friend?"

Feferi, it seemed, didn't mind. Her head turned up to the stands and everyone could see her smile and wave slightly from where she was next to the starting block in lane 4.

The whistle blew and all six swimmers jumped gracefully into the water. They popped up, gripping the handles and planting their feet.

 _"Swimmers,"_ came the announcer, _"take your mark."_

A split second of tense silence. The light blinked, the buzzer rang.

And all hell broke loose.

This was completely different from the warmups. The water seemed to thrash against the swimmers as they took off. Tavros found himself leaning forward, in awe. The churning white, the foam, the sound, the sudden energy from the crowd and the cheering teams.

It was truly exhilarating.

By the time he recovered, Feferi had already touched the wall. Lane 4's number flashed on the large LED board above the pool, followed closely by lanes 5 and 2. They saw her shake her head slightly and pull herself out of the pool, accepting congratulations from her fellow relay members.

"31.52," Equius murmured, looking at the scoreboard. "Not bad."

"But it's not her best. Her turn was a bit sloppy," Nepeta commented. "We'll hear about it tomorrow during lunch."

"I heard that she, focuses more on distance?"

"Indeed. Distance is a STRONG event for her!"

Nepeta didn't look away from the pool, but she said, "Equius, people are staring."

He blushed. "Fiddlesticks. Pardon my sudden exclamation."

"Furrgiven!"

The third girl for Feferi's relay was diving in now.

"Is that butterfly?"

"Fly? Yeah."

It did look hard. And tiring. The girl came in heaving, but happy when she checked the scoreboard. There was cheering when Alternia took first and second place. Third and fourth were taken by the away team.

_"Event 2. The boy's 200 medley relay."_

Tavros could make out Feferi giving the boys a few words of encouragement before the first swimmer got into the water. Eridan was third in line.

They came in a much closer first than the girls. If it wasn't for Eridan's speed, they surely wouldn't have been able to close the gap. Tavros found himself cheering with the other people in the stand.

"Their boys team is good," Equius commented. They nodded in agreement.

_"Event 3. The girl's 200 freestyle."_

Tavros saw Feferi getting up on the blocks.

"She's already swimming again?"

"It's the 200," explained Equius. "Always follows the first event."

"And the IM's right after it, so Eridan will be in soon too," added Nepeta.

Though Feferi came in first, the others seemed shocked by her time.

"That's way slower than usual!"

Tavros stared, but he saw nothing slow about swimming that distance in under 2:20.

Equius squinted. "It looks like she's saving her energy for the 500 later on. Notice how her coaches aren't saying anything negative. They're all smiling."

Eridan, meanwhile, managed to get his PR in the IM. He dragged himself out of the pool with an uncharacteristic smile on his face. Tavros thought he should smile more. Him and Karkat. They looked so much better with their faces lit up. 

Feferi swooped over to give Eridan an congratulatory hug, causing a lot of the swimmers on the bench to wolf whistle. Feferi laughed them off, Eridan blushed scarlet and scooted away.

Their friends didn't swim anything after the IM, so they watched the six heats of 50 frees go by without much comment. It was followed by the 1 meter diving. The diving portion went by quickly, seeing as the other team had no divers. Alternia only had two girls and a boy.

_"And now it's time for a short break. The pool will be open for all swimmers for ten minutes."_

Everyone took one last water break before getting their caps and goggles back on. As the swimmers squeezed into the lanes, Tavros asked, "How many events after this?"

"This?" Nepeta thought for a second. "Let's see, there's events 11 through 24. Only the last one's a relay, but the 500's in the middle, so it may take some time."

Those events went fairly quickly, though Tavros had to have Equius carry him to the bathroom for a quick break. Oh how he wished he could walk instead!

"Feferi's up in a few minutes! I bet you ten bucks Eridan'll offer to count fur her," Nepeta whispered to Equius when they came back.

He frowned. "That's hardly fair when we both know that's a fact."

She giggled at Tavros's confused expression. "Oh, you don't know, do you? He's got a flush crush for her~"

"Eridan…has a crush, on Feferi?"

"Yep! Can't you tell?"

"He's only known us all for a week," Equius reminded her.

"I know, but it's obvious! The romantic red!"

"No it isn't."

"Yeah it is!"

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No it isn't, Nepeta."

"Yeah-huh!"

Tavros watched the swimmers lapping in thoughtful silence as the two continued to bicker. Now that he thought about it Eridan was always sitting next to Feferi at lunch, asking her how she was and what she was eating. He'd comment on her choices frequently as well in a blunt, almost barraging manner. But it seemed Eridan cared about Feferi. Even if he had a bad way of phrasing it, much to Sollux's ridicule.

And speaking of Sollux.

"'Thup?"

The three turned to see Sollux and Aradia standing by them. Sollux had a coffee in his hand, Aradia a slice of pizza and a box of Reese's Pieces. Nepeta hopped up and greeted them. Equius did too, but only to a specific one.

"Aradia, hello."

Was that a blush Tavros saw?

She smiled. " Hi Equius. Anything exciting happen so far?"

"Is is just mew two, then?"

"No. KK dethided to tag along too, but he drove himthelf."

Tavros hadn't expected him, and neither did the others, it seemed.

"Yeah, jutht give him a thecond. He should be here any moment."

"Karkitty came too?"

"Of course I came. Eridan made me promise I'd come."

Karkat ambled up the stairs, cursing slightly as he tripped over his undone laces. Tavros noticed his shoes squished as he walked. His black hair was also plastered to his face, and the black hoodie he wore seems darker in some places. Sollux noticed and chuckled darkly.

"Told you to bring an umbrella, KK."

"Suck it Captor. I don't want to hear it. Not now."

"I offered you a spare," Aradia said, but he waved her away.

"No need. Even if I had the damn thing my feet wouldn't be feeling any better."

Nepeta pouted and questioned, "Why are you so grumpy, Karkitty? What happened?"

"Why am I pissed, you ask? What's making this human grumpy, you ask? Fine, I'll tell you. It's because parking in that god-forsaken parking lot is fucking impossible. Are people seriously incapable of not double parking? Is there a sign on their windows somewhere that says, 'Hey, let's be inconsiderate assholes and totally make it impossible for anyone not on a fucking moped to cram their vehicle in the communal asphalt lot. How about getting from Point A to Point B? Nope, we don't give a shit if they have to go through the floodwaters of the YMCA parking lot's very edge. It's not like it rains or anything in Oregon!'"

His expression became darker, movements more animated. Tavros looked around to see all of them were laughing or smiling.

"Jesus fuck, is it really impossible for them to comprehend that concept, or am I just rambling pointlessly?" he finally finished, huffing.

"Rambling, yeth. Pointleth? We'll thee."

He rolled his eyes. "Gee, thanks. I just feel so much better now."

Nepeta giggled. "Well, sit down! They're going to be done with their warm-up soon."

"Is it raining again?" asked Tavros.

"Oh gee, I don't know. I was just talking about a flooded parking lot and a pair of ruined shoes. What do you think?"

"So, yes?"

Karkat rolled his eyes. "Yes, it's raining. More like pouring buckets of water on every fuckass who just happens to stick his toes outside the door to fetch the paper."

Sollux sat down, Aradia beside him. "C'mon KK, jutht thit down."

"Fine." He slouched at the end of the row. "Anyone betting on Eridan today?"

"Yep. No takers."

_"Event 13, the girl's 100 freestyle."_

"Actually," Tavros said, remembering something, "I'll bet."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Fine." Karkat pulled out a ten. "You'll owe me soon enough."

Once the girls were done, the boys lined up. Sollux frowned.

"Is that ED?"

Tavros nodded. "He told me in the car that he's not swimming fly because their usual free swimmer is out with the flu."

Nepeta giggled. "If he's swimming the 100, he won't have time to go back and count, right?"

There was a moment of silence, then:

"DAMMIT!"

Everyone laughed at Karkat, who didn't seem at all pleased by the outcome. He made to give Tavros the ten, but the younger waved it away.

"It was just a joke. I don't want it."

"Fuck you." Karkat rolled his eyes. "Oh, would you look at that! He's swimming the free. He's not counting today. No way! Who'd have thought that would happen!"

"Your thuch a thore lother."

"Fuck you too."

"How do those things work?" Tavros asked.

Nepeta stopped laughing long enough to acknowledge his question. "Oh what, the counters?"

"Yeah, those."

Aradia explained, "They go up in odd numbers. So every time a swimmer comes down, the counter shows them how many laps they've swam. How many does the 500 have?"

"Twenty," Sollux said.

"Twenty. So at that lap, the counter shows the swimmer two orange instead of the number. That means final lap. You'll see." Once the event started, Aradia pointed. "Like right now, they're all putting in one."

"Oh, okay. So next time they put in 3?"

"Yes."

Eridan joined the counter behind the lane to cheer Feferi on, but other than that nothing really happened. She finished by a long shot, but rather than getting out of the pool, she stayed and waited until everyone had finished. Feferi smiled and shook hands with the girl next to her, saying something with a smile on her face. Perhaps she was the freshman they were talking about in the car.

The boy's 500 seemed even longer now that none of the people Tavros knew was swimming in it. Everyone else seemed pretty bored too, either talking or watching without any animation. Nothing truly happened until the last relay.

Feferi's team beat all the others by a large margin, but it was the boy's relay that was exciting. Eridan was anchor for the last event, and his relay team was barely holding second place by the time he got in.

"Four theconth behind," noted Sollux. "Think he'll catch 'im?"

Karkat nodded. "Why wouldn't he? He's already on that guy's ass!"

The first fifty went. All six pairs of eyes were glued onto the scoreboard as they came in.

"Two seconds behind," Tavros murmured.

They all turned back to the pool. Eridan was barely breathing, his feet literally churning the water to froth. 

The noise rose to a deafening level as the two swimmers came on their final turn. Both teams had surrounded both sides of the pool, shouting encouragement to their respective teammates.

"He's falling behind!" Equius said strongly.

Nepeta grabbed at him from across Tavros's lap without even looking. "Yeah, but he's got a stronger flip turn. It's all down to that."

She ended up being right. He touched the wall with barely a difference between them. And coming off it he was not two strokes behind.

"C'MON ERIDAN!"

"KEEP IT UP"

"GO! GO! GO!"

The shouts became blurred into one another. Tavros found his voice joining the others. It was swept away into the mash of screams and cheers, but he hardly noticed. Everyone was leaning forward. The intensity, the focus. The swimmers were literally about to hit the wall. One last breath. Then their fingertips brushed the pad.

Two heads popped out of the water. They gasped. The watchers all turned to the scoreboard. They all looked, and…

0.13 seconds ahead.

The cheering could only be described as cacophonous. Everyone in the crowd was standing and cheering. Equius carefully lifted Tavros so he could see too. In the pool, Eridan had removed his goggles and took a careful look at the time. He had enough energy to raise a fist and give a short shout. His face transformed into a happy smile. Second place gave him a tart handshake with an equally large smile; apparently that was their relay's PR that night.

When the last relay came in everyone climbed out of the pool. Feferi was the first person to grab all four of the exhausted boys, hugging them all tightly. No one could hear what she had said, but they were sure it was something along the lines of, "Good job!"

The teams shook hands, exchanged a few words, and all the swimmers went into the locker rooms to shower and change.

"Wow…" Tavros breathed after it all. "That was, exciting."

"Not boring like Eridan said, huh?" Nepeta joked, nudging him with her shoulder.

"Not at all."

Karkat stood up. "Well, we should probably get those two."

"They won't be out for another twenty minutes or so," said Aradia. "We should just sit and wait."

"Let's get Tavros's stuff from the coaches' office before it gets locked up," Equius suggested.

They agreed to it and left the bleachers after most of the crowd left the area. Tavros quickly checked his phone (a new gift from Gamzee) after pulling it out of his book bag. There weren't any new texts.

"Don't worry about that fucker."

Tavros turned around to find Karkat watching him with those red eyes.

"Um, what?"

"I said don't worry about him. He's pretty bad at texting back to start. Just know that if it's raining he'll probably be outside lying in the forest enjoying him b.s. miracles."

Tavros smiled. "Right."

Karkat shrugged and grabbed the handles to the wheelchair. "C'mon. Let's wait for them."

Thirty minutes later the group found Eridan meandering out of the pool deck, Feferi following close behind after having a few words with their coaches. Sollux waved them over.

"Good job today."

"Thanks!" Feferi accepted the compliment and hug. "Though you're lucky you didn't see my flip turn in the first event. That was pretty glubbing awful!"

"Called it," Nepeta whispered to Tavros, who smiled.

Eridan asked, "What time is it?"

Equius checked his watch. "Almost 8."

"Already?"

They turned to Tavros, how clasped his hand over his mouth and blushed a bit.

Nepeta laughed. "Told you they go fast!"

"Do you need a ride home?" Karkat asked.

Tavros shook his head. "I know the only people who live near Gamzee are Eridan and Feferi. I'll just get a ride home from them, if they don't mind."

"Not at all!" Feferi said, elbowing Eridan in the side when he opened his mouth to object. "We were planning on going out to get somefin to eat. If you're okay with a bit of a detour."

"I don't mind."

"Where at?" Aradia asked.

"Taki's. That new sushi bar they just opened down the road."

Nepeta's stomach growled loudly, causing them all to laugh.

"Why don't we all go instead?" she suggested. "It's purrtty late as it is. Meowbe it's a good idea to eat."

Aradia shrugged. "I'm not opposed to the idea."

"I dunno," Karkat interjected. "Not trying to bum anyone out here, but it's a Monday night, none of us have done our homework yet, and the weather's shit already. I don't think it's wise if we're all trolling around town with that fucking monsoon on our doorsteps."

"Language, please, Vantas."

"Equius, fuck off!"

Feferi pouted. "Come on Karkatfish, it'll be fun!"

"Yeah Karkitty! Purrlease?"

He rolled his eyes. "I swear, no one calls me just Karkat anymore."

"Fine, 'just Karkat,'" Eridan snapped. "Wwill you come wwith us or not?"

"That wasn't funny!"

Sollux smirked. "I dunno. For an idiot, that was pretty good. Kudos for that."

Eridan then proceeded to have himself mocked more for sticking his tongue out at Sollux (in a very mature manner, according to himself) and shout, "NYEH!" His only saving grace was that Sollux flicked him off later, claiming it was more mature than sticking one's tongue out.

Karkat was not having any of that. "Have some fucking class and bite your thumbs instead, asswipes."

"Tho you finally thtarted Romeo and Juliet, huh?"

"Stupid fucking English homework."

"So are you comin' or not?" Eridan asked.

He sighed. "Alright, _fine_ , I guess it doesn't hurt to eat. Are we going or what?"

Outside the wind was picking up, though thankfully the rain seemed to have taken a break. Tavros noted the sky was still completely blanketed by heavy storm clouds which made a splotchy grey-purple all across the horizon. And the parking lot was indeed flooded. Tavros laughed as the others complained of wet feet.

"Shut up!" Karkat finally shouted, which made everyone laugh even harder.

Feferi took him and Eridan to the restaurant, meeting all their friends there. Tavros learned that night that he wasn't fond of raw fish, but definitely liked the eel. Everyone else learned it was the first time he'd ever had sushi.

After about an hour of eating and conversing, everyone went their separate ways. Feferi dropped Tavros off at Gamzee's.

"Do you need any help getting in?"

"No, I should be fine." The Makara's had recently installed a handicap ramp to the front door so Tavros could get in and out with ease.

"Alright, if you insist."

Eridan waved. "See you tomorrow."

Tavros smiled. "Yeah. And good job again, guys."

After a few more waves and a goodbye hug from Feferi, the car pulled out of the driveway. Tavros made his way into the house, quickly shutting off the security system. He fumbled for the towel by the door so he could wipe his wheels. No point in staining the perfectly white carpet, even if they hired a cleaning lady.

There was no sign of Gamzee. Most likely he was in his room. Tavros didn't bother to call. Gamzee had a habit of checking on him around 10:30 or 11 before he went to bed. Instead he made his way down the hallway to the room he called his own now. It was familiar, clean, and chilly. Tavros shivered and turned the space heater on, basking in its warmth for a few minutes.

 _A quick shower, then sleep,_ he told himself. He'd sweat way too much to go to bed comfortably.

Tavros gathered his pajamas and a tank top, knowing there was still a fresh towel on top of the toilet. He dumped them all unceremoniously on the tile floor of the bathroom and flicked the light on. He peeled off the sticky shirt. That was tossed into the hamper, followed by the jeans, the underwear, and the compression socks.

The hot water felt amazing, especially on his legs. For some reason they were very sore today. Tavros massaged the area gently, trying to ease up the pain. It felt better momentarily. He leaned back and enjoyed the warmth for a few more minutes before forcing his tired hands to grab the soap and wash rag to his right.

His left foot kept itching.

It started off as a slight tingle, like when he would sit on his foot too long and then let the blood rush back into it. Then came the squeezing feeling. He tried to wiggle his toes, but felt nothing. Of course there was nothing. Nothing was there.

"Stay calm," he said out loud. "It's not real."

Then there was the pain.

Tavros gasped and grabbed his left thigh, nails digging in through the thin layer of flesh. A flash, so horrible it sent a flaming chill up his spine. And just like that, it was gone.

Taking a steadying breath he slid off the chair and into the tub, opening the curtain to reach out and pulling the towel on the floor to him. Tavros wiped himself down quickly and got dressed. 

He made it to the bed when it happened again. There was a reverberating shock. Then another. Tavros gasped and curled up, grabbing at his legs. Beads of sweat formed on his brow as he bit his lip to prevent making too much noise. The pain. It was white-hot, fiery. He didn't know how to describe it. It was all over his legs.

Time passed, and the familiar footsteps came down the hall. A double knock on the door. Light from the hallway flooded in.

"Hey Tavbro," Gamzee greeted. He smelled like tobacco (but earthier) and peppermint gum, and his hair was plastered to his face. "You in here? Sorry I'm late. Shit went down! And it's all pourin' outside like a motherfuckin' miracle!"

He then noticed his friend was curled up in the fetal position.

"Tavros! Dude, you alright?"

"Fine," he hissed, but Gamzee wasn't buying it.

"Like hell you're fine," he said, voice deeper and more gravelly than usual. "What's wrong? Did someone hurt you?"

He shook his head. "No one…hurt me."

The bed shifted as Gamzee sat beside him. Tavros felt the hair in his eyes being brushed away. He looked up at his friend, at the worry etched into his painted face.

"Tell me where it hurts, brother."

"M-m-my legs," he breathed.

"What?"

"I heard people have phantom pains, but it's usually only for those who went through a lot of trauma. Like, a crushing or tearing feeling." Tavros gasped a bit as a new wave of pain came. "I-I don't understand…why does it hurt?"

"I'm gonna call the doc. Don't you move."

Gamzee crept out of the room and into the hallway. His cell phone was to his ear in seconds, the doctor's number already on it; his father had given it to him when they first took Tavros home.

He picked up after three rings. "Hello?"

"Hey, is this Dr. Smith?"

"Yes, this is he. Who is this?"

"Sorry to bother you, doc. M'name's Gamzee. I'm the dude who took Tav--Travis home."

The voice became friendlier. "Ah, Mr. Makara! Yes, I remember you. How are you?"

"I'm okay."

"And Travis?"

"That's what I'm callin' about." Gamzee took a deep breath. "I'm not sure how, but my bro Tav here is up and havin' some real pains in his legs. He's cryin' and goin' on about some things called 'phantom pains' or something. He's clutching his legs and stuff."

There was a deafening silence on the other end. Gamzee frowned.

"You there, doc?"

"I was hoping this wouldn't happen."

"Does this have anything to do with when he came into the hospital, doc?"

"We had to operate very quickly when he came in. There was barely enough time to have enough morphine in his system to block the pain of amputation." There was regret in the doctor's voice, hard and bitter. "So he's having phantom pains?"

"What exactly are they, these phantom pains?"

The doctor sighed. "It's when the patient, in this case Travis, continues to feel sensations in his missing limb, even though it's no longer there. Most amputees have this. Anywhere between 60-80% is the average estimate. And almost all of them result in pain."

"And what's causing it?"

"To be honest, no one is really sure. We believe it has something to do with the brain still trying to send and receive signals from the missing nerve ends. Travis's legs, for instance. We've found that many patients experience this during times of stress, anxiety, or with sudden weather changes." He paused. "I don't mean to sound rude by asking, but is Travis okay? Has he settled well in your household."

Gamzee nodded. "If you're talkin' about him bein' stressed, it ain't that. Wait! Now I'm thinkin' him up and going to that swim meet today might've done it."

"With the weather being so cold as well, I could see that as being a possible trigger."

"Is there anything I can do? To help him."

"Nothing concrete. We can't really do anything. I'm sorry."

"No, it's cool. Thanks for tellin' me."

"Of course. Goodnight."

"Night."

The line went dead. Gamzee put the phone back in his pocket and leaned back against the wall. He hated feeling so hopeless. Going back into the room, he walked over to where Tavros was and put his arms around the boy.

"Hey bro."

Tavros bit his lower lip until it bled, shaking, cold sweat prickling over his skin. "M-make it s-stop…" he moaned.

"I wish I could, Tavbro. I really wish I could. But I can't." He rubbed his friend's shoulder. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Stay," he murmured. It was almost too quiet to hear, but Gamzee made it out. "Please."

"Sure thing, bro. Sure thing."

The pain eventually left as though it never happened. After much fretting, Tavros promised Gamzee he would take the day off from school, even though he didn't want to.

"We don't want you be havin' one of those motherfuckin' flare-ups! You rest and I'll bring some wicked food in tomorrow."

"Fine. But I'm okay now. I actually wanna go to school."

"No can do, bro. I'm callin' you off. Get rested so we can have a bitchtits wicked day."

"We?"

But Gamzee had sauntered out of the room.

Tavros sighed and went to bed, passing out immediately and only to be woken the next morning by the smell of eggs and sausages.

"Up and at 'em, Tavbro!"

"What time is it?" he asked groggily.

Gamzee checked his phone. "8:30-ish."

Tavros sat up. "Why are you still here? What about school?"

"See, I called the school this morning all like, 'Tavbro was having some motherfucking pains in his legs, and we wanted to have him up and rest it out. But the caregiver's outta town today, so he's needin' some company.' And they were all like, 'That's bitchtits, bro. You should up and stay with that miraculous motherfucker.'"

"So you took the day off too…"

Gamzee grinned. "Yep! Now what say you to a few rounds of Mario Kart when everyone gets offa school?"

"They're coming?!"

"Sure, everyone's worried and hoping you get well soon!"

"I feel fine," he grumbled, but was ignored. "Are you sure it's…wise, to play that game?"

When Gamzee looked confused, Tavros explained, "You know, since it's the one game that's always guaranteed to destroy friendships?"

"Haha, nope! Only person who feels betrayed is Karbro! You'll see! Now let's eat this shit before it gets cold!"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Wow, over a month has gone by since I've updated. Sorry you all had to wait über long for a relatively boring chapter. Basically I've had to study and take AP tests, four orchestra concerts came and went, I've been working, graduation, and crunch time for Colossalcon. Now that all that's gone by and I'm officially on summer break, I'll have time to write again!_   
>  _So I'm a swimmer (and trust me, I'm nowhere near any note-worthy level). I love meets so much I wanted to incorporate them as well, since football season's ended by the time this story's out. If you've never been to a swim meet, please try to find a way to go to one; it's absolutely energizing! Damn, I miss swimming… :'(_   
>  _Also, I have no idea how phantom pains work, so I Googled it._   
>  _This was a kinda random chapter, but I hope everyone liked it. Leave a review if you did; they keep the cannibal narwals in my closet a bay._   
>  _\--pp_   
> 


	9. Sleepover, Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “In the spirit of slumber parties, I want to have a sleepover and invite only narcoleptics.”  
> ― Jarod Kintz, _At even one penny, this book would be overpriced. In fact, free is too expensive, because you'd still waste time by reading it._

It was about a week after the swim meet that Vriska came into lunch with a proposition.

"I say we all have a sleepover!" she announced as the bell rang.

"A sleepover?" Tavros asked.

"Yeah, a sleepover," Vriska replied. "But don't call it that if anyone asks. It's a suuuuuuuuper exclusive party."

"Because…?"

She sighed dramatically. "Really Tavros? Really? I have a social image to keep. And no one should still call an overnight get-together without any sex a sleepover. That's excessively lame. We're in high school, after all!"

"That does sound like fun," Kanaya interjected quickly. "It has been quite some time since all of us have spent time with one another."

Tavros decided not to mention that they'd had get-togethers for Gamzee's birthday and the day after New Year. And the three times they'd gone to downtown Portland after that. Though Tavros hadn't accompanied any of them.

"What's thith about a thleepover?" Sollux asked. He and Aradia had just arrived.

"And exclusive party! And I'm planning one," Vriska stated. "You game?"

He shrugged. "Thure. Who's houthe are we using thith time?"

"I hosted last time," said Aradia, joining them, "so we should pick someone new."

Vriska sighed. "Unfortunately, not my place. My mom got a bit mad when she found out about the drunk football players at the last party, soooooooo…yeah."

"My place is off too. My old man's going to be home for once," Karkat grumbled.

"And we know Kanaya's is a no-no. Too small."

"My flat is comfortable for two, yes, but not for thirteen."

"What about Gamzee's?" Tavros suggested.

"Naw bro," the one mentioned replied. "We need to get you up and out of that motherfucking place. You still need to explore Alternia and all its wicked miracles."

"Um, right. Those."

"Besides, we all up and hung out together playin' some sweet video games together."

Karkat interjected, "No, we didn't. You had fun while the rest of us burned away all the remotely happy feelings we had for one another in the hellish dimension that is Mario Kart."

A bunch of people laughed. Vriska rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever. Eridan?"

The boy just shook his head. "You knoww wwhat my parents think of you guys."

"True…"

Nepeta sighed. "I'm sorry I only live in a smaller house."

"Once it gets warmer, we can camp out in your backyard!" Feferi said brightly. "Don't worry about it. Just think of it like Equius's garage. Inaccessible in the winter."

"So his place if off too."

Equius nodded. "Yes. It seems so. Unless we want to bring in eight or so space heaters and pitch in for the extra electricity."

He was shot down with a series of expected no's.

Terezi said, "I could ask my parents."

"No!' Karkat snapped. "You hosted twice in a row over Christmas break. I refuse to be a fucking commodity to your parents' ridicule anymore."

"God Karkles--"

"Don't call me that!"

"Karkles." She stated it with a 'glare' in his general direction. "Just because they don't understand we're no longer kids doesn't mean they're trying to embarrass you. Sorry if they do. I personally like when you come over!"

He flushed. "I didn't mean that I don't like coming over!"

Vriska sighed. "If we really can't figure this out, then we'll just go out to Portland again. It's just that I'm low on cash and gas, and I bet we all are too. Plus, the weather's supposed to be shit."

"What about Sollux's house?" Tavros whispered to Gamzee.

Gamzee blinked for a few seconds before replying. "His family has good reason why we don't up and stay over for longer than a few hours."

"Oh. Okay." Tavros decided not to pry.

"'Sides, they live in an apartment."

Feferi looked up from her phone, which was opened to the calendar. "I have to see my sister off to college on Sunday, but aside from that my place is open all weekend. Though she and her friends will be there."

"Depends which ones," Karkat said immediately.

"Aranea and Latula."

"Really?" said Aradia. "I didn't know they were still in contact."

Feferi shrugged. "They may all be at different schools now, but they still text all the time's what Meenah told me."

Vriska groaned. "Really? Aranea's gonna be there."

"Shoosh. I'm texting Meenah about that right now."

Tavros couldn't help but smile. "I'm actually really excited for this. To hang out, with everyone."

Karkat grumbled something along the lines of 'you shouldn't be, idiot' but was promptly ignored.

"You sure you're up for it, Tavbro?"

He frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

Gamzee glanced down at Tavros's legs. "I mean, I heard it's gonna be bitchtits cold this weekend. Don't want you in pain or nothin'."

"I'm fine," he snapped. Seeing everyone's shock, he cleared his throat and dropped his sudden defensiveness. "I'll be fine. As long as I'm not outside for too long, and your house is warm. Besides, it was just once."

He had had another flare-up, but it didn't last nearly as long as the first one which Gamzee had seen so Tavros didn't bother to tell anyone. After doing a bit of research, Tavros wasn't worried about it all too much. It seemed pretty common. And the last phantom sensation wasn't pain, just an odd tingling followed by some squeezing feeling instead. All of them were except for that night. He found, based on some research, that the strange sensations he's originally brushed off as healing feelings were actually less painful phantoms, and a majority had been shortly after he'd left the hospital

Feferi clapped her hands, breaking the tension. "Great! The date's set! We'll all meet at my place around six Saturday night, and stay all day Sunday. How's that sound?"

Mostly agreements, and a couple of 'let me ask my mom/dad' came up.

After lunch, Tavros headed to Spanish with Gamzee while Karkat went off with Terezi to her class.

"Are those sleepovers fun?" he asked.

Gamzee made a questioning noise. "Ya mean the one we're gonna be up and attending this weekend?"

"Yeah."

The elevator came, and they got in.

"I think they are." Tavros looked up at his friend's smile, doors closing on them. "We've all been friends since elementary school practically. I mean, we've all got our ups and downs, and some of them weren't exactly the best downs on earth."

He touched his face lightly, ghosting over the scars that were there.

"But it's been worth it all. We're alright. And now you're one of us too."

"Thanks Gamzee."

"Sure thing bro."

The doors dinged open, Karkat already waiting for them there. Stairs must be faster.

"Ready?"

"Let's go."

* * *

Saturday came much sooner than Tavros had thought.

Tavros went in first as Gamzee ran upstairs to pack his stuff. The two had been out getting groceries, and somehow gotten stuck at a coffee shop and forgetting the time.

"Meetcha here in five!" he shouted as he rounded the corner.

"Right. And the groceries?"

"Just leave 'em. I'll be back!"

Tavros watched the lanky figure vanish down the hall at the top of the stairs. He turned his wheelchair towards his room. Through the kitchen and down the hall.

It didn't take him so long to pack. Tavros got a duffel bag from Gamzee Friday night. He put in pajamas, a couple of changes of clothes (he had no idea how hot or cold Feferi's house would be, so he prepared for cold and really cold), extra compression socks, a pillow, a fleece throw, and his phone charger. He then went to the bathroom and grabbed the pre-packed toothbrush and toothpaste.

"That should be it," Tavros said to himself. Gamzee had both of their sleeping bags. Tavros double checked everything. Satisfied, he slung the bag over one of the handles and went back to the front entrance.

What he didn't expect to see was a woman in the kitchen making tea. And by her shocked expression, she wasn't expecting to see him either.

She was fairly tall, with dark brown hair tied into a loose bun, and tanned skin. Her eyes were green, piercing. Her stance was of powerful elegance. She wore a loose fit grey sweater, tight black leggings, and knee-high boots. She looked to be in her forties.

 _She's gorgeous!_ Tavros thought to himself.

"Um, hi?" was what he ended up saying.

"You are not the hired help?" she asked, but it sounded like a statement. The woman had a very musical voice with an accent to it. Something like Italian, perhaps.

Tavros shook his head, gesturing weakly down at himself in the wheelchair.

"Ah."

There was another silence. Tavros then heard footsteps in the hall. Gamzee appeared a moment later with a bunch of groceries on his arms. He'd also washed off his face paint.

"Tavbro, you in here? I'm just gonna put these motherfuckers in the fridge and we'll be up and outta here. Ready to go?" And then he saw the woman.

She smiled. "Gamzee!"

Gamzee took three long strides to her side, kissing her on each cheek. " _Mama!_ "

Tavros blinked. He hadn't connected any of the dots.

" _Dios mío_ , you mom…"

"Oh hey, I should totally introduce you." Gamzee flourished his arms, dropping everything haphazardly in the process. " _Mama_ , I'd like you to meet our new housemate, Tavros. Tav, this is my mom, Alice."

Tavros noted he pronounced the name "A-lee-ché" with a very Italian flair. He never thought to ask Gamzee if he knew any Italian. Not wanting to be rude, he stuck his hand out.

"Nice to meet you, ma'am."

"Call me Alice, please. No reason for us to be so formal."

She swooped down to kiss him on the cheeks. Then she turned to scold her son.

"Gamzee, you must not fling everything around! You could have made a big mess in the kitchen.

He chuckled, scratching the back of his head nervously. "Sorry, _Mama_. But we didn't buy anything breakable."

She picked up a leaking bag, raising an eyebrow.

Gamzee winced. "Except maybe the milk. And the jelly."

"I will clean. A person will be here soon to make sure everything is in order soon." She smoothed down a strand of Gamzee's wild hair. "I heard you have a sleepover today. Have fun. I will see you when you get back."

"Thanks _Mama!"_ He kissed her on the cheek again. "Lemme know how your tour was when we get back!"

"Of course. Let me see you both out."

As they headed towards the door, Gamzee asked his mom, "How long'll you be in this time, _Mama?"_

"A couple of months. I do not have another tour until April, so I will be seeing the voice coach in Portland until I go back to New York."

He pushed Tavros into the living room as he continued to talk. "Let's head out! I already got our 'coons and shit in the trunk. Just need ta put your stuff in and we're good to go! And also, we gotta pick up Karbro today. Him and Terezi."

“‘Coons?”

“Like ‘cacoons,’ ya know? For our sleeping bags.”

“Ah.” He nodded. Tavros really needed to stop asking about every unfamiliar word Gamzee said.

"Will we all fit?" Tavros asked. The truck was only made to seat three.

Gamzee nodded. "Once we get Karbro, I'll sit in the bed with our stuff."

"But it's freezing out!"

"Never bothered me," he stated casually with a shrug.

Alice opened the door for them and followed them out to the truck.

"Be careful not to get into traffic trouble."

"We will!"

"And the snow. I heard it will snow today."

"We'll be fine _Mama_. Promise."

She kissed his cheeks again. "Love you."

"Love you too."

"Be safe." She turned back to Tavros, who was pulling himself into the passenger seat. "It was nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too."

Gamzee jumped into the driver's side and revved up the engine. "Ready?"

Tavros nodded. The truck lurched out of the driveway, and Gamzee launched it down the road. They were at Karkat's home in ten minutes. Tavros had never been there, and peeked through the window to take a look. It wasn't super impressive, a pretty normal looking one-story home, grey, probably a 2-bed 1-bath sort of deal. A detached garage was to the left, open and empty.

The front door opened and Karkat stepped out, Terezi holding his arm. They both had a few bags sitting by the entrance. Gamzee stopped the truck and got out.

"I'm gonna help Karbro with his shit."

"Okay."

Karkat had closed the front door and jammed the key in the lock. Gamzee sauntered over and picked up two of the bags with ease, lifting them over his shoulder. He said something to the pair of them. Whatever it was, Karkat looked angrier and Terezi laughed.

The three headed over to the truck. Gamzee tossed the bags into the back and hopped in after them, grabbing the ones Karkat handed to him. The cancer then opened the driver's side for Terezi. She sidled in, bumping Tavros's head by accident with her cane.

"Ow."

"Oh, hey Chocolate Syrup!"

"'Chocolate syrup?'"

The door slammed as Karkat got in. "Ignore her. She just makes a nickname for everyone using their Pesterchum color setting. Gamzee mentioned your text is brown and Terezi went with it." He shivered and blasted the heat once the truck roared to life. "Jesus fuck it's cold out here! Gamzee, you sure you're alright out there!"

They turned around as Gamzee rapped against the back window and gave them a thumbs up.

"Freak," he muttered. "Okay, Feferi lives even farther than Gamzee, so we're gonna be on the road for a bit."

He backed out slowly, and began to drive right on the speed limit. After speeding around with Gamzee, Tavros found the new pace odd, but relaxing. He and Terezi caught up about silly things; a role-play they started with Aradia and Nepeta, the upcoming ACT both of them were planning to take, the amount of homework the English teachers were intent on giving to name a few.

They were interrupted by Karkat. "We're here."

Tavros looked out the window and gasped. Wherein Gamzee's house was pretty big, Feferi's house could only be described as a mansion. The long driveway was paved, straight through large grassy expanses of yard lined with perfectly trimmed shrubbery. There house was three stories, white, with a balcony and arching windows. Dark curtains lined all of them shut, except for a couple on the second and third floors. The driveway circled around a marble fountain of a mermaid. There were already several cars there.

"Looks like we're late again."

Terezi poked Karkat's face. "If you didn't drive so slow we would've been here five minutes ago."

Instead of replying, he got out of the truck, keys in hand. Terezi followed. Karkat helped her to the ground.

Tavros shivered as a breeze came in through. It was a lot colder than he expected. He was glad for the leg warmers Rose had knitted for him.

The passenger door popped open. Gamzee was there with the wheelchair.

"Ready for a wicked night?"

Tavros nodded. He accepted Gamzee's help out of the truck.

Karkat and Terezi had grabbed several of the bags.

"We'll make two trips," he told them. "There's too much fucking stuff, and there's no ramp up the stairs."

That made Tavros glance over to the white stairs. There were at least twenty, and true to Karkat's word they were definitely stairs. He swallowed. Gamzee didn't seemed phased at all.

"I'll take you up, Tavbro. You can go right in. Feferi said she'd leave the door unlocked."

"Are you sure?"

"We're fine!" Terezi called. "No point in freezing you butt off like the rest of us!"

"Terezi, watch it! There are stairs here!"

"I won't fall Karkles. Gog!"

“Don’t ‘Gog’ me! You and your stupid typos!”

Gamzee chuckled and Tavros laughed a bit. They made their way up the steps, Gamzee pushing the chair carefully. Karkat and Terezi passed them on the way back for the rest of the bags. At the top, Tavros noticed the door was left ajar for him.

"Right. I'm gonna help with all the carryin'. You good?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Cool. Everyone should be right there. Feferi's good about waitin' for every motherfucker to arrive."

"Okay."

Gamzee gave him a reassuring squeeze of the shoulder and ran down the stairs. Tavros could hear Karkat yelling at him before he went inside.

He found himself in the foyer (it made Gamzee's look pretty pitiful) and saw everyone already there and waiting. There were three girls on the stairs that Tavros didn't recognize who were talking to them. One was a redhead like Terezi, wearing rectangular glasses and a teal sweater over black leggings. She was having a conversation with Sollux.

The other two stood just a couple of steps above her. Or rather, the one wearing a blue sweater and skirt with white horn-rimmed glasses was standing. The one wearing a leather jacket and purple frames looked less interested, sitting and picking at her nails. She looked up through the railing bars when Tavros entered.

"Oi Feferi. Looks like the last of your friends found 'is way in."

"Thanks Meenah!"

Feferi came over and gave Tavros a hug. "I'm so glad you could make it! We're going to have such an amazing time! I'm so excited for this!"

"Ah, me too."

She let go. "Sorry. It's been a whale since I've hosted, so I'm a bit jittery."

"No, it's fine. I get it, kinda."

Gamzee sauntered it, dropping the bags in the doorway and wrapping his arms around Feferi and lifting her off the floor.

"That's for having us over, sis!"

"Anytime!"

"Yo Fef!" the girl of the stairs shouted. "How much longer are your fronds gonna be hangin' around here?"

"Until Karkat and Terezi come in."

"Grumpy and blind girl?"

Feferi definitely looked exasperated. "Yes, those two."

"Right. An' close the glubbin' door! It's freezing!"

Feferi sighed. "This is why I told you not to wear a crop top, Meenah."

"Whateva! I didn't think I'd actually have to deal with it!"

Her companion came down the stairs to Tavros. She shot Meenah a cold look, but her smile to him was warm.

"You'll have to excuse her language. She's not exactly a people person. And trust me, I've been her friend long enough to know that."

The woman took Tavros's hand. "I'm Aranea, by the way. Vriska's sister."

"I'm Tavros."

"Nice to meet you. Why don't you come in away from the door. It's really cold outside, and I heard it's only supposed to get colder."

"Great," groaned Meenah as they headed in.

Aranea snorted. "Quit griping. We're going be inside the rest of the weekend anyway."

They finally moved inside a bit, where Tavros wasn't shivering violently. He was seated by the stairs where pretty much everyone was standing. Aradia and Nepeta greeted him, Kanaya smiled, and Eridan actually nodded a bit in his direction. From his new position Tavros was able to hear the entire conversation Sollux was having with the redhead.

"So how's Mituna been?" she asked him. Tavros vaguely remembered the name, but couldn't place it from where.

"Fine," Sollux said. "He had a couple of bad days, but he's been better thince our parents got home."

"Sounds good. I wanna check on him though. Is that okay."

A shrug. "I don't thee why not. I just put in the firtht dithk of 'Lord of the Rings' which should dithtract him for a good two hours."

"How long ago'd you put it in?" she asked.

Sollux checked his watch. "Thirty minutes."

"Okay. I'll shoot him a text, see what happens."

She pulled out her phone at the moment Karkat and Terezi entered the house. The Pyrope was holding onto her friends arm, he carrying most of the bags. She set hers down and whipped her cane out from under her armpit, almost hitting Karkat in the process. It seemed to be on purpose based on how he didn't freak out at her. Much.

"Finally!" Meenah sighed. "Now can we please close that door?"

"I hear you," Feferi replied, running over to the door and closing it with a little more force than necessary.

Aranea wasn't thrilled either. "Was that really necessary?"

The third girl looked up from her phone with a laugh. "C'mon, this is Meenah we're talkin' about. She'd kill you before stepping down from her self-proclaimed throne. No offense intended."

Terezi perked up at the voice.

"LATU~LA!" she hollered, shocking Karkat into dropping his bag onto his foot, followed by some very unceremonious swearing.

The girl turned and grinned in a way identical to Terezi. "Hey you! How's my rad li'l sister doing?"

She ruffled Sollux's hair, much to his irritation, and slid down the railing, hopping over to Terezi and hugging her.

"I haven't heard your voice in forever!"

"Me neither! Man, I need to call you more often!"

"Likewise."

Karkat practically ripped them apart. "Great, you two remembered you had a sibling. Congratulations. Now can I please get further inside, preferably somewhere not the cold draft near the door, where I can park my ass and relax, seeing as I just dropped a really fucking heavy bag on my foot."

Latula nodded. "Do what you want grumpykins. Really Terezi, what did you see in him?"

"HEY!"

There were snickers from their friends. Terezi, meanwhile, shrugged.

"Literally? Nothing."

Some people flinched at the reference, but Latula just laughed all the harder and slapped Terezi hard on the back. "Ahahahaha! Way to use that one against me! Hold up, my butt's buzzing."

She pulled out her phone and sent a quick text.

Terezi said happily, "It's so good to hear your voice in the flesh. Those texts just aren't the same."

"You said it sister! Rad to hear your voice too. But it looks like I'm about ready to clear outta here." She patted Terezi on the shoulder more gently. "I'm gonna grab all my things for the night. I'll be back in the morning with 'Tuna."

"Tho you're going to head over there thoon?" asked Sollux.

Latula nodded. "I just texted him. He actually replied right away, so that's a good thing."

"Good."

Meenah pouted. "Man, I was lookin' forward to spendin' some corality time with you. Shore you gotta go?"

"Tuna's my boyfriend. How bad would I look if I didn't go by to see him?"

"Don't you two be gettin' into any weird fishticuffs tonight."

She laughed. "Wouldn't dream of it. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye guys!"

"Bye."

"See you later, Terezi!"

"Smell you later, Latula!"

They both shared a good laugh. Latula then vanished back up the stairs to presumably get her things.

"I'll help her," Aranea stated before departing.

"Shell we head over to the basement, now that everyone's here?" Feferi asked brightly, clasping her hands together.

Several agreements later the bags were gathered and they followed their hostess to the hallway on their left that lead back and under the stairs. Tavros trailed behind with Terezi.

"You're sister's…quite the character," he said.

"I know!" Terezi gushed. "Isn't she just radical?"

"I guess?"

She nodded sagely. "Yeah she is. I used to be so jealous of her."

"Really?"

"I mean, look at her. She's so confident about everything. Sassy, fun, good at skateboarding. Everyone loves her! Even though she's got a disability, but no one can even tell."

"She does?"

"Lost her sense of smell in an accident. She doesn't really talk about it."

Tavros decided not to say anything about how it wasn't that much of a disability. Though it must suck.

Terezi continued. "I kept thinking to myself, 'How can I ever live up to her?' I put myself in her shadow. Karkles was the one who made me see some sense, so to say."

Tavros didn't respond, but she could tell he was interested and continued.

"It was a bit after I lost my sight, before I was okay with it. I couldn't function without help, I was pretty much worthless, falling behind in school, everything. Basically I fell into a bought of self-pity.

"Karkat wouldn't allow it." She smiled a bit at the memory. "He basically told me that her 'act,' so to speak, was something she's work on all her life. Which I guess I can kinda see? I mean, I've lived with her all my life so I wouldn't know any better because Latula's always been the radical skater girl type, even before losing her sense of smell. And he basically said…"

Terezi blushed. Tavros raised his eyebrows quizzically, though the effect was lost.

"Go on," he encouraged.

"Well, Karkat said that that's what was so great about me. That I didn't have to put on an act to be who I was. That I was fun and likable being myself. And that I was…beautiful."

The subject of their conversation chose that exact moment to interrupt.

"Hey, are you two coming or not?"

Terezi's face morphed into a playful grin. "Aw Karkles, what's this? Miss our company already? It's been, what, half a minute?"

He scowled but said nothing. He waited for them to catch up instead.

"Tavros, there's a rule of thumb here. Don't ever fucking wander off, because this house is too big for its own good. I don't wanna talk about how many times I've gotten lost here."

"I won't. At least, unless the basement is so big."

Karkat glanced over to Tavros's wheelchair-bound figure and winced.

"Oh man, that must've sounded so insensitive. I'm sorry."

Before Tavros could say a word, Terezi stabbed Karkat's calf with her cane. He cried out indignantly and glared at her.

She spoke first. "Before you start pitying us for being disabled, remember that we don't like being treated like we can't do shit anymore. Just because we're not able to do some of the things we could doesn't mean we like people to notice it."

He was silent for a long moment, before sighing and nodding.

"You're right. I'm sorry." He took her hand gently and linked their arms like they always did at school. "Forgive me for being the most despicable fucking ass-wiping piece of sh--"

Laughing, Terezi shoved her hand over his mouth. "I get it, I get it! Come on, let's catch up with everyone!"

It took thirty seconds to meet up with the large group. The hallway was polished white, expensive looking paintings and vases lining either side of it. Rich rugs, chandeliers. It truly was like a modern palace.

Feferi waved them over when they rounded the corner to another large space that looked like a small ballroom.

"There you are! Right, is this everybody?"

"All accounted for," said Sollux dully.

"Awesome!"

"Hope y'all got what you need, 'cuz I don't wanna be bothered."

They all turned around. Meenah materialized in the hallway, leaning casually against one of the vase holders. She noticed the glances and rolled her eyes.

"Chillax. I'm not gonna hover around."

"Shore thing!"

Meenah grinned and practically leapt forward, giving her sister a playful noogie. "Atta gill, usin' all those fish puns and not being so borin’ and shit!”

"Meenah, stop!" Feferi giggled, pulling away. She motioned for everyone to follow. "C'mon guys, we've got the basement for the weekend."

"Aranea and I'll be upstairs if you need anyfin! But don't abuse my power!" Meenah called.

"Thanks sis."

"Anytime."

Feferi opened the door in front of her, a large mahogany fixture. It lead to a set of carpeted stairs. She didn't even bother to turn around; it seemed everyone knew exactly what they were doing.

Tavros watched their little system unfold. Eridan went first with his bag and what appeared to be Feferi's food. Equius, Nepeta, and Karkat began taking everyone's bags and going down afterwards. Terezi went down with them, cane under arm and hand on Karkat's shoulder. Everyone else followed. All that was left after a minute was Tavros, Gamzee, and Equius.

"I got you bro, if our bro here's got your wheels?"

"Of course."

He wasn't even phased about wrapping his arms around Gamzee's neck. They were pretty used to this now. Though he didn't seem it, the teen was all ropey muscle. He lifted Tavros with ease and carried him downstairs, Equius right behind them.

The ceiling was surprisingly high for a basement, seeing how Gamzee was easily standing in it without looking like a lanky giant. A bathroom with a shower was visible to Tavros’s left. The floor was carpeted, a shade lighter than the cream-colored walls. There was a large, flat screen TV with several remotes, consoles, video players, and DVDs spread around it mounted on the far wall. Surrounding it were four couches in a very loose square, making a large central area. A full kitchen with a bar was to Tavros’s right. The whole space was brightly lit. There was even an electric fire going!

The vast majority was unpacking in various areas between the surprisingly gaudy-looking fuchsia couches and flatscreen television. Terezi had made herself comfortable next to Karkat, who was just across from Tavros and Gamzee's pile of stuff. Sollux and Aradia were in one corner near the outlet; the Captor's laptop was already plugged in and running. Nepeta was across from them. Vriska was in the middle, along with Kanaya, Eridan, and Feferi's stuff.

Eridan was over by the adjacent bar area, setting out chips and crackers. He was even cutting cheese onto a party platter and sticking little toothpick swords into the cubes. Kanaya quickly joined him after setting up her sleeping spot. Equius went over to a beckoning Nepeta once Tavros's wheelchair was carefully placed behind one of the couches.

Feferi was playing hostess, explaining everything.

"Let's see… We have some colas and milk in the fridge. It's in the back of the bar area there, Tavros. Yes Gamzee, there's Faygo too." Feferi smiled at his thumbs up. "There's leftover potato salad, instant noodles, chips, crackers, cheese, all those normal party foods. Meenah already ordered pizzas for us, so they should be here soon. And Mom left us a coupon for catered sandwiches. Oooh, we have ice cream and whipped cream too! I bet there're toppings upstairs in the kitchen I could grab."

Gamzee set Tavros down on the couch facing the TV. Feferi settled next to him, taking both his hands with a big smile splayed across her face.

"Now I can officially say welcome! Especially to you Tavros, since it’s your first time here! The basement is practically mine. No one else ever uses it."

“Um, thanks!”

“Of course!” she said gleefully. “Well, everyone’ll be ready in a moment or two.”

True to her word, almost everyone had their stuff set up within the minute. Eridan finished cutting up the cheese and put it on the coffee table before sitting on his sleeping bag. Once everyone had settled, there was a slight pause. Equius was the one to break it.

"What do we want to do?"

"Wwe could wwatch a movvie."

Sollux shuddered at the suggestion. "No offenthe, ED, but you're asking for thome shit to go down if we watch a movie."

"Nyeh!"

"How come?" Tavros asked Gamzee--who was sitting in front of him--in a whisper.

His friend chuckled. "Aw shit, every time we all up and watch some movie, it turns into a miraculous bunch of 'em. Everyone's got a different taste of the rainbow. Like Karbro here only watches the ones with the romance and shit."

"The movies you just casually brushed of as 'romance and shit' are actually good ones!" Karkat snapped. "I absolutely refuse to subject myself to the brain-rotting horror that is the the actual cinematographic nightmarish swill most people subject themselves to or are, like me, forced to like through brainwash."

Terezi slow-clapped dramatically. "Wow Karkles, you should really think about dropping out of high school and living a life as a movie critic. I would pay to hear you rant about anything non-romantic."

"You and your fucking rom-coms," Sollux said.

Nepeta bopped him on the knee. "That's not nice! I actually enjoy romance movies too! They're entertaining and heartfelt, just like real love should be."

"Well said, Nepeta. Finally, someone who gets it!"

From what felt like a great distance the gong of a very fancy doorbell rang. Feferi jumped up.

"That's gotta be the pizza! I'll be right back!"

"I'm comin' wwith."

"You guys can open Netflix and choose somefin. Whale be right back!"

The two swimmers vanished up the stairs. Meanwhile, Karkat began arguing the merits of "Love Actually" to the group, who were starting to agree with Equius that perhaps they should start with a movie that had nothing to do with romance. He was sweating profusely under the shorter's glare.

"It's a brilliant fucking movie!"

Vriska checked her nails. "Yeah, we got it."

"I'm just saying that the language barrier is nothing because of true lo--"

"KK, do uth all a favor and shut up for a thecond."

Karkat seemed more offended than possible, but he stopped talking, mouth snapping shut with an audible click. Sollux rubbed his temples and sighed.

"We'll watch one of your shitty movies later, alright? Let'th thtart with Pathipic Rim because thome of uth like mechth."

"Then after that, one comedy, one Disney, one fantasy, and if we're still up to it, one romance," said Terezi. "Deal?"

There was grudging agreement. Sollux sat down and quickly accessed Feferi's Netflix. He searched and loaded the movie as Feferi and Eridan came back with their pizza. There were two sheets: one was cheese, the other pepperoni.

They began with Pacific Rim just as Sollux had suggested. Tavros was surprised he actually enjoyed it. The pizza was gone by the end of it. Aradia suggested Zoolander for their comedy. No one had seen it except Terezi, Vriska, Tavros, and Aradia, so it was a good experience to watch people react to it. Tavros noticed how Karkat would lean in and quietly explain what was happening in some of the scenes to Terezi whenever she tapped on his knee.

Tavros and Eridan argued a bit over the Disney movie, though. He said _Peter Pan,_ the latter _The Little Mermaid._

They ended up watching neither, since Terezi shouting "FLIP A COIN, I'VE GOT ONE RIGHT HERE!!!" didn't bode well with anyone; Nepeta hurriedly chose _The Lion King_ before the argument became more heated. The chorused horridly off-key to every single song. Except for Gamzee; somehow he sang in perfect harmony (even Nala's part). It was apparently loud (and bad) enough to have the older girls upstairs come down and tell them to shut up. More like Meenah telling them to shut up while Aranea watched with a sly smile on her face. Not that they actually did stop singing, though.

By the time that movie ended, it was well into the wee hours of the morning. Half the group had nodded off or were looking ready to sleep and all the pizza was gone.

Feferi fumbled between the couch cushions and Aradia leaning on her shoulder for the remote, shutting the TV off. “I’m thinking that’s enough for tonight.”

Those who were awake murmured agreements. Aradia blinked in a daze as Feferi shook her.

“Oh, sorry.”

“Don’t be. Why don’t you get over to your bag?”

She glided over to her bag, pulling out a red nightgown and undressing without a care in the world. No one else seemed to either. Tavros did avert his eyes, but noticed no one else bothered to seeing as none of them were staring. They were obviously very comfortable around each other.

“Goodnight.”

“‘Night!”

Those who were still awake searched for spare clothes and comfy items. Tavros managed to wrestle his bag from Gamzee’s grip on it (seriously, why was he hugging it?) to get his sweatpants and crew top. Feferi stopped down to a tank top and underwear, gently taking Eridan’s askew glasses off his face and placing them on the coffee table. Nepeta tucked Equius in carefully before rolling over and instantly switching off. Sollux sighed as Aradia patted the sleeping bag next to hers, powering off his laptop and lying down. He didn’t even bother to change. Karkat snorted at him before getting into a pair of ratty red sleeping shorts with crabs all over them and flopping into his small pile of blankets.

Tavros crawled into the bag, finding he was able to shuffle pretty deep into it due to the extra space. He smiled a bit to himself and made it so his head was completely covered. Feferi shut the lights out after that because the amount filtering in through the orangey material lessen dramatically. Feeling warm and drowsy, Tavros allowed his eyes to shut and fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve updated, sorry. Life just kinda happened and pulled me along for the ride.  
> So I meant to post this chapter as one big mega chap, but decided to just split it into two parts since I haven’t finished the end of it yet. So look for Part 2 sometime in February/March.  
> Also, can you believe it's been a year since I started this fic? Hard to believe (especially with the lack of updates), I know! But this is truly a great experience and I'm super excited to see where this story'll go from here.  
> -pp


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